IR absorption spectra of high-pressure polyethylene modified by fish scales

Abstract

We study polymeric-based composite materials with nanostructured metal filler and bio-filler; they protect the material from environmental influences, including oxidation, and give the required flexibility to the composite, subject to biocompatibility. Composites were obtained from a homogeneous mixture of the powders of the matrix components and the filler using a heated press at a temperature of 420 K and a pressure of 15 MPa. The quenching crystallization mode is the rapid cooling of samples in a water–ice mixture. The results of a study of IR spectra taken with a Fourier spectrometer Varian 640 FT-IR, high-pressure polyethylene composites modified with biological filler, and LDPE [Formula: see text] vol.% FS [Formula: see text] vol.% Fe bio-nanocomposites in the frequency range 4000–400 cm[Formula: see text] were presented. It was revealed that the introduction of modifiers from fish scales (FS) and metallic nanoparticles (Fe) in LDPE in an optimal amount does not contribute to the appearance of new absorption bands, i.e. it practically does not change the shape of their IR spectrum. This means that the modifier of biological origin is technologically compatible with LDPE. The introduction of fish scale filler to LDPE contributes to a noticeable decrease in the intensity of the formation of C–O groups (1720 cm[Formula: see text]), which is a measure of the oxidative degradation of polymer chains. The results show that the introduction of FS into the structures of high-pressure polyethylene contributes to the formation of an optimal and stable structure, which, in turn, interferes with the intensive development of the photooxidative process caused by UV irradiation.