Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Mechanical and functional performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) modified ice composites reinforced with flax by-products. / Dolgodvorov, Roman; Artemii, Cherkashin; Ermolov, Yakov et al.
In: Next Materials, Vol. 12, 102212, 07.2026.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanical and functional performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) modified ice composites reinforced with flax by-products
AU - Dolgodvorov, Roman
AU - Artemii, Cherkashin
AU - Ermolov, Yakov
AU - Goryajnov, Dmitry
AU - Denisov, Stepan
AU - Tsvetkov, Sergey
AU - Kasprzhitskii, Anton
AU - Lazorenko, Georgy
N1 - The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Project of the Advanced Engineering School of NSU), Technology asset limited liability company and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
PY - 2026/7
Y1 - 2026/7
N2 - This study investigates the mechanical and functional performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-modified ice composites reinforced with flax tow (FT), a sustainable by-product of flax processing, and explores the synergistic effects of PVA and FT incorporation on compressive and flexural strength as well as failure mechanisms of ice composites. Results demonstrate that PVA enhances ice strength by forming polymer networks and inhibiting ice recrystallization, with optimal performance at 1.5 wt% PVA, achieving compressive and flexural strengths of 7.1 MPa and 3.3 MPa, respectively. FT reinforcement further improves mechanical properties, with a hybrid composite (1.5 wt% PVA and 2.0 wt% FT) exhibiting a 3.5-fold increase in compressive strength (8.1 MPa) and superior flexural strength (4.3 MPa) compared to pure ice. The composites also show more ductile fracture behavior, attributed to fiber bridging and crack deflection, and a delayed melting response associated with PVA-water interactions. These combined improvements in strength, toughness, and melting resistance indicate that hybrid PVA-fiber ice composites may be suitable for temporary infrastructure, ice roads, protective barriers, and load-bearing ice structures in cold region engineering.
AB - This study investigates the mechanical and functional performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-modified ice composites reinforced with flax tow (FT), a sustainable by-product of flax processing, and explores the synergistic effects of PVA and FT incorporation on compressive and flexural strength as well as failure mechanisms of ice composites. Results demonstrate that PVA enhances ice strength by forming polymer networks and inhibiting ice recrystallization, with optimal performance at 1.5 wt% PVA, achieving compressive and flexural strengths of 7.1 MPa and 3.3 MPa, respectively. FT reinforcement further improves mechanical properties, with a hybrid composite (1.5 wt% PVA and 2.0 wt% FT) exhibiting a 3.5-fold increase in compressive strength (8.1 MPa) and superior flexural strength (4.3 MPa) compared to pure ice. The composites also show more ductile fracture behavior, attributed to fiber bridging and crack deflection, and a delayed melting response associated with PVA-water interactions. These combined improvements in strength, toughness, and melting resistance indicate that hybrid PVA-fiber ice composites may be suitable for temporary infrastructure, ice roads, protective barriers, and load-bearing ice structures in cold region engineering.
KW - Arctic
KW - Flax
KW - Ice composite
KW - Natural fiber
KW - Polyvinyl alcohol
KW - Sustainability
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105037796305
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/ad597c4a-ee27-333d-9acf-352bdebf0a43/
U2 - 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.102212
DO - 10.1016/j.nxmate.2026.102212
M3 - Article
VL - 12
JO - Next Materials
JF - Next Materials
SN - 2949-8228
M1 - 102212
ER -
ID: 79595309