A study investigated the modification of both fully and partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by adding zinc sulfate at varying concentrations using a solvent cast technique.
The modified polymer films were analyzed for various properties including structure, mechanical strength, thermal behavior, and antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains using several testing methods.
Results indicated that the degree of hydrolysis of PVA significantly influenced the overall properties of the films, particularly their antibacterial effectiveness.