Impact of co-mixing technique and surface modification of ZnO nanoparticles using stearic acid on their dispersion into HDPE to produce HDPE/ZnO nanocomposites

Abstract

In this article, the effectiveness of the co-mixing processing technique and surface modification of zinc oxide (ZnO) filler on the characteristics of the developed high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/ZnO was investigated. ZnO was treated and co-mixed with stearic acid (SA) at a ratio of 50/50 wt% using kitchen coffee grinder and the mixture was then added to the HDPE matrix in a Brabender plastograph with various ZnO contents of 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%. The morphology of the nanocomposites was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The micrographs showed well and uniform dispersion of both treated and untreated ZnO nanofiller; however, the treated ZnO particles showed better dispersion. The nanocomposite containing 1 wt% ZnO nanoparticles was found to have the optimal properties. The results of the SEM were supported by the atomic force microscopic technique. The uniform dispersion of ZnO was further investigated through X-ray diffraction spectra. The minor peaks of ZnO in the HDPE/treated and untreated ZnO nanocomposites are considered as an evidence for the presence of uniform and well-dispersed ZnO. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite samples is higher than that of neat HDPE due to the semiconducting nature of ZnO and increases with ZnO content. The results of this work proved that dispersibility can be achieved through the addition of SA and conductivity of the nanocomposite depends on the ZnO content. Moreover, co-mixing technique and the surface modification of the nanofillers are very effective in producing the HDPE/ZnO nanocomposites that have many potential industrial applications such as food packaging, drug and pharmaceutical bottles.

Mechanical behavior of Emirati red shale fillers/unsaturated polyester composite

“…Mourad et al [9] have observed a degradation in the mechanical performance of kevlar/epoxy composite due to agglomeration when more than 0.5% of MWCNT were added to polymer (epoxy) matrix. Similar [4] and SiC-reinforced aluminum matrix composites [7]. Figure 3 illustrates the variation of tensile strength with filler volume fraction for three filler sizes, demonstrating that at a given filler content, composites containing smaller particles featured higher tensile strength, which was ascribed to the better dispersion and filler-matrix interactions therein.…”

“…(e.g., cellulose, cotton, wood, pulp, cane, synthetic fibers, cork, foamed rubber, melamine foam, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and other polymers) materials. Although the physicochemical stability of polymers generally makes them good heat insulators, their mechanical properties can be further improved or modified by the addition of inorganic fillers to afford composites with enhanced strength [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Moreover, heterogeneity the composite should be tested to confirm the isotropic behavior [10,11].…”

Investigation on the Durability of E-Glass/Epoxy Composite Exposed to Seawater at Elevated Temperature

“…For material effectiveness, it is essential to ensure the durability of FRP composites in the seawater environment. Nanofillers are one effective solution for closing any gaps and increasing the compositional intensity [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Several studies have been performed in different aging conditions for the performance of epoxy-based composites.…”

Antimicrobial High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)/ZnO Nanocomposites Obtained by in situ Polymerization

“…ZnO was treated and co-mixed with stearic acid (SA) at a ratio of 50/50 wt.% and the mixture was then melt mixed to the HDPE matrix with various ZnO contents (0.5, 1 and 2 wt.%) showing better dispersion than the untreated nanofiller. 19 ZnO particles coated with silane coupling agents were mixed with LDPE to alter the dielectric behavior of the nanocomposites. 12 Silane-treated ZnO nanoparticles with different loadings, from 0 to 20 wt.%, were mixed with UHMWPE using a dry mechanical ball mill and they were hot-pressed.…”