In Situ-Grown Aramid Nanomaterials as Multifunctional Reinforcements for High-Performance PVC Composites

As a widely used general-purpose plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) suffers from limited thermal stability, inherent brittleness, and a difficulty in balancing mechanical strength with toughness. To overcome these limitations, aramid nanomaterials (ANM)—formed through the self-assembly of poly(terephthaloylterephthalamide) (PPTA) molecules as the reinforcing phase—are directly constructed via an in situ synthesis (ISS) strategy in PVC/NMP and PVC/NMP/LiCl systems. Results demonstrate that this method achieves uniform dispersion and strong interfacial bonding of ANMs within the PVC matrix, significantly refining the composite microstructure. Compared with neat PVC, the PVC/ANM composites prepared by the ISS method showed a significant increase in both tensile strength and toughness, effectively breaking the conventional strength–toughness trade-off. In addition, these composites show enhanced thermal stability and flame retardancy, primarily due to strong interfacial interactions between the ANMs and the PVC matrix. This work not only confirms the great potential of the ISS strategy for preparing high-performance PVC composites but also provides a new technological pathway for addressing common strengthening and toughening challenges in polymer-matrix systems.