The grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and chromic acid etched UHMWPE was conducted with a preirradiation method in air in the presence of a Mohr salt and sulfuric acid. The grafted samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a gravimetric method, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and interfacial bonding strength measurements. The FTIR results showed the presence of ether and carbonyl groups in the MMA-grafted UHMWPE (MMA-g-UHMWPE) samples. The Taguchi experimental design method was used to find the best degree of grafting (DG) and bonding strength. The efficient levels for different variables were calculated with an analysis of variance of the results. SEM micrographs of MMA-g-UHMWPE samples showed that with increasing DG and chromic acid etching, the MMAg-UHMWPE rich phase increased on the surface; this confirmed the high interfacial bonding strength of the grafted samples with bone cement. The grafting of the MMA units onto UHMWPE resulted in a lower crystallinity, and the crystallization process proceeded at a higher rate for the MMA-g-UHMWPE samples compared to the initial UHMWPE; this suggested that the MMA grafted units acted as nucleating agents for the crystallization of UHMWPE.
In this paper, we fabricate Epoxy/ZnO-GO composite films using photoinduced cationic ring opening polymerization processes with self-cleaning ability and improved thermal properties under the photo exposure. The presence of ZnO nanoparticles on the GO surface aids in achieving good self-cleaning properties by removing model dirt, methylene blue, (within 1-2 h) under sunlight. An increase of almost 15 o C in the thermal stability was obtained by introduction of 0.6 wt% ZnO-GO to the epoxy matrix. Therefore, the nanocomposite could be a promising futuristic material for many advanced applications and used as a surface coating material where it can remove the presence of organic dirt and provide a clean surface.
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