Static and dynamic compressive properties of polypropylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites

The effect of strain rate is widely recognized as an essential factor that influences the mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites. Despite its importance, no previous work has been reported on the high‐strain rate behavior of polypropylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites. Based on this, static and dynamic compression properties of polypropylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites, with particle contents of 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight, were successfully studied at different strain rates (i.e., 0.01 s^?1, 0.1 s^?1, 650 s^?1, 900 s^?1, and 1100 s^?1) using a universal testing machine and a split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus. For standardization, approximately 24 nm of zinc oxide nanoparticles were embedded into polypropylene matrix for each of the tested polypropylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites. Results show that the yield strength, the ultimate strength, and the stiffness properties, of polypropylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites, were greatly affected by both particle loading and applied strain rate. Furthermore, the rate sensitivity and the absorbed energy of all tested specimens showed a positive increment with increasing strain rate, whereas the thermal activation volume showed a contrary trend. In addition, the fractographic analysis and particle dispersion of all composite specimens were successfully obtained using a field emisission scanning electron microscopy. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:949–960, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanical properties of nanosilica/polypropylene composites under dynamic compression loading

This article presents results on the dynamic mechanical properties of PP‐SiO₂ nanocomposites, with nanosilica contents of 1, 3, and 5% by weight, at various strain rates using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus. The specimens were prepared using a hot compression technique. The dynamic mechanical characteristics, of PP‐SiO₂ nanocomposites, are illustrated in terms of stress–strain curves, up to nearly 1100 s⁻¹ of strain rates. From the results, the yield stress, compression modulus, and compressive strength of the composites, were significantly influenced by the strain rates and nanosilica contents. The values of strain rate sensitivity, and dissipation energy of the composites at various strain rates, were also determined. It was found that the strain rate sensitivity, and the dissipation energy, increased with increasing strain rates. In addition, it was observed that the composites experienced more severe damage under a high strain rate loading, compared to a low strain rate loading. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Improvement of thermal stability and flame retardancy of polypolypropylene composite modified by ZnO and MoO3 nanowires

Herein, zinc oxide (ZnO) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) nanowires were prepared via the hydrothermal method. Then as-prepared ZnO and MoO₃ nanowires were fabricated to form ZnO/MoO₃ compound nanostructure. ZnO/MoO₃ compounds were incorporated into polypropylene (PP) with various loadings by melt blending. The D-Optimal mixing design in Design-Expert software was employed to study the effects of ZnO/MoO₃ compound content on flame retardancy and mechanical properties of nanocomposites. Information on performance of thermal stability and flame retardancy of PP/ZnO/MoO₃ nanocomposites was obtained through thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimeter tests, and limiting oxygen index (LOI). The results reflected that the synthesized ZnO/MoO₃ compound possessed high thermal stability and flame retardancy. The addition of 15 wt % ZnO nanowires and 13 wt % MoO₃ nanowires increased LOI from 18.2 to 23.0%. Meanwhile, the tensile strength of the PP/ZnO/MoO₃ nanocomposite decreased by 13.8% and the elongation at break of the PP nanocomposite increased by 20.4% compared with pure PP. Response surface analysis results also indicated that the loading of ZnO/MoO₃ compound had an influence on the mechanical properties and flame retardancy of PP. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48312.     

Interfacial influence on mechanical properties of polypropylene/polypropylene‐grafted silica nanocomposites

Three types of polypropylene‐grafted silica (PGS‐2 K, PGS‐8 K and PGS‐30 K) with different grafting chain lengths were prepared. After melt‐blending PGS with polypropylene (PP), we studied the PP/PGS interface properties and the influence of PP/PGS interfaces on mechanical properties of nanocomposites. The strong matrix/particle interface was observed in PP/PGS‐30 K nanocomposites with 5 wt % particle loading as evidenced by 2.5 °C increased glass transition temperature (T_g) compared with neat PP, whereas the weak matrix/particle interface was observed in PP/PGS‐2 K nanocomposites with decreased T_g. The variations in the matrix/particle interfacial strength lead to a transition in the yield stress of nanocomposites. Compared with the unfilled PP, the yield stress of the PP/PGS‐2 K nanocomposites is decreased by 0.7 MPa, and the yield stress of the PP/PGS‐30 K nanocomposites is enhanced by 1.4 MPa. In addition, benefiting from good dispersion, the PP/PGS‐masterbatch nanocomposites with a strong matrix/particle interface not only exhibit increased Young's modulus and yield stress, but also the strain at break remains in line with the unfilled PP, which is in contrast to the conventional wisdom that the gain in modulus and strength must be at the expense of the decreased break strain. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45887.     

Influence of incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles and biaxial orientation on mechanical and oxygen barrier properties of polypropylene films for food packaging applications

In this work, the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) concentration and shape on processing and properties of new biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP)‐ZnO nanocomposites was studied. The use of spherical nanoparticles and nanorods was expected to differently influence the properties of the final material. Films of isotactic polypropylene prepared with different ZnO incorporation were biaxially oriented under conditions of temperature and strain rate that were similar to those encountered in a commercial film process. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was performed to visualize the dispersion degree of the ZnO nanoparticles in the polymer matrix and to observe the surface and the orientation of the elongated nanoparticles. Furthermore, the prepared ZnO‐BOPP nanocomposites were evaluated for both mechanical and oxygen barrier property enhancement. A good combination of mechanical and oxygen barrier properties was obtained for the ZnO‐BOPP films. This result makes the ZnO‐BOPP nanocomposite a proper material for applications such as food packaging. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

A study on the photo-degradation of zinc oxide (ZnO) filled polypropylene nanocomposites

This research aims to study the photo-degradation characteristics for zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle filled polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites. By paying attention to the evolution of the carbonyl absorption bands from FTIR analysis, it has been observed that UV irradiation induced significant photo-degradation for unfilled PP. However, with the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles into the PP matrix, the extent of photo-degradation was significantly reduced. This is due to the superior UV light screening effects offered by the ZnO nanoparticles. WAXD measurements showed that β-form PP crystal had been induced in the PP/ZnO nanocomposites. An interesting observation from this study is that β-form PP crystal was also induced in unfilled PP due to UV irradiation. UV-irradiation induced degradation caused a significant drop in the ductility for unfilled PP. With the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles, the ductility, and hence the tensile strength were recovered to some extent. The higher the ZnO particle content, the higher the elongation at break value in the UV irradiation treated nanocomposites. It was also observed that surface cracks were induced by photo-degradation, and the Talysurf surface profile measurements indicate that the severity of the surface cracks were significantly reduced in the ZnO/PP nanocomposites.     

ZnO、PA6及APP对聚丙烯的协同阻燃作用研究

以苯乙烯-乙烯-丁二烯-苯乙烯接枝马来酸酐(SEBS-g-MAH)为增容剂,研究了氧化锌(ZnO)、聚酰胺6(PA6)及聚磷酸铵(APP)对聚丙烯(PP)的阻燃性能和力学性能的影响,并观察了复合材料的微观结构。结果表明:加入1%的ZnO可以在一定程度上提高APP/PP复合材料的阻燃性,而加入10%的PA6后,APP/ZnO/PP复合材料的氧指数(OI)可提高到36.8%,经5%SEBS-g-MAH增容后,PA6/APP/ZnO/PP复合材料OI值可进一步提高至38.9%;APP的加入明显降低了PP的拉伸强度和冲击强度,但ZnO、PA6和SEBS-g-MAH的加入可以显著改善APP/PP复合材料的力学性能;ZnO的加入提高了PP炭层的致密性,而添加PA6后,炭层呈现明显的片状致密结构。     

Impact of vanadium-, sulfur-, and dysprosium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles on various properties of PVDF/functionalized-PMMA blend nanocomposites: Structural,optical, and morphological studies

The polymeric blend was fabricated with crystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/amorphous functionalized-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in 70/30 w/w ratio by chemical mixing method. Functionalization of PMMA was achieved with 2-amino-5-nitrobenzoic acid. The prepared polymer blend was used as a matrix to synthesize nanocomposites with undoped/doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Doping in ZnO was achieved with vanadium, sulfur, and dysprosium elements as a dopant. The structural, optical, electronic, and morphological properties of undoped/doped nanosized ZnO and blended nanocomposites were accessed through sophisticated analytical techniques, that is, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), UV–vis–diffuse reflectance spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The FTIR band at 1165–1176 cm⁻¹ in functionalized-PMMA indicate the formation of aliphatic C-N bond along with aromatic ¹H chemical shift (δ) at 7.134, 7.829 and 8.210 ppm confirm the successfully functionalization of PMMA. The prominent XRD peak at 2θ = 20.8° in nanocomposites shown improvement in β-phase of PVDF. The results show that Dy doped ZnO nanoparticles create remarkable effect on various properties of nanocomposites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47116.     

Microwave assisted synthesis of rGO/ZnO composites for non-enzymatic glucose sensing and supercapacitor applications

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Graphene Oxide (GO) are known to show good electrochemical properties. In this paper, rGO/ZnO nanocomposites have been synthesised using a simple microwave assisted method. The nanocomposites are characterized using XRD, Raman, SEM and TEM. XRD reveals the wurtzite structure of ZnO and TEM shows the heterogeneous nucleation of ZnO nanocrystals anchored onto graphene sheets. The electrochemical properties of the rGO/ZnO nanocomposite enhanced significantly for applications in glucose sensors and supercapacitors. The non-enzymatic glucose sensor of this nanocomposite tested using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry, exhibits high sensitivity (39.78 mA cm⁻² mM⁻¹) and a lower detection limit of 0.2 nM. The supercapacitor electrode of rGO/ZnO nanocomposite exhibits a significant increase in specific capacitance.     

Thermomechanical properties of virgin and recycled polypropylene impact copolymer/CaCO3 nanocomposites

The effect of successive injection moldings on the thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of a polypropylene impact copolymer (PP) was investigated. The crystal content decreased as the molecular weight decreased due to chain scission with repeated injection molding. The Young modulus and the yield stress remained constant, despite a drop in the strain to break. Virgin and recycled PP matrix were filled with nanosized calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) particles. The effect of morphology on the thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites of virgin and recycled PP filled with nanosized CaCO₃ particles was also studied. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were strongly influenced by the intrinsic toughness of the matrix and the concentration and dispersion of the filler. The yield strength and strain of virgin PP decreased gradually, while its Young's modulus increased slightly with increasing CaCO₃ loading. These phenomena were less pronounced for the recycled matrix. Incorporation of nanoparticles to virgin matrix produced an increase in tensile stiffness and ductility, when good dispersion of the filler was achieved. However, the impact strength dropped dramatically for high filler contents. A significant increase in impact strength was observed for the recycled PP. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1904–1913, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Study on the Effect of Polypyrrole and Polypyrrole/Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles on the Microstructure,Electrical and Tensile Properties of Polypropylene Nanocomposites

In this article Polypropylene/Polypyrrole (PP/PPy) and Polypropylene/polypyrrole-graphene oxide (PP/PPy-GO) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing. PPy nanoparticles and PPy-GO nanocomposite were prepared by chemical polymerization and served as nanofillers. FTIR, XRD and SEM analysis were used for the characterization of PPy and PPy-GO composites. The effects of PPy and PPy-GO loading level on the morphology, tensile and electrical properties of PP-based nanocomposites were examined. It was found that the Young's modulus and tensile strength increased with the increase of nanofiller content. Tensile results also showed that PPy-GO composite significantly affected the mechanical properties of PP based nanocomposites compared to the PPy nanoparticles. It was observed that the addition of 1% wt. PPy-GO into PP, increased the Young's modulus about 30% compared as with pure PP. Electrical conductivity measurements showed that conductivity of PP nanocomposites increased up to 1 × 10^?3 S/cm for PP/PPy-GO nanocomposites. It was also observed that PP-g-MA improved the distribution of PPy and PPy-GO nanocomposites and affected the morphology, electrical and mechanical properties of PP-based nanocomposites.     

Mechanical characterization of graphene oxide reinforced epoxy at different strain rates

Strain rate has significant effect on mechanical behavior of the thermoset polymers. The rate sensitivity is more complicated for thermoset nanocomposites, which compose of two quite different types of materials. Nanofiller‐reinforced epoxy resin is widely used in the industry. In the present work, epoxy resin is reinforced by 0.05 to 0.7 wt% nanographene oxide (GO). The strain rate sensitivity of the fabricated nanocomposites is investigated through compressive test carried out at the strain rates of 0.001–1,900 s^?1. The stress–strain curves of the nanocomposites indicated considerable difference between the low‐strain and high‐strain‐rate responses of the specimens. The results showed that the compressive strength of the nanocomposites was improved by more than 100% at high strain rates with respect to the low strain rates. Also, the addition of nano‐GO had influence on compressive strength enhancement but not as significant as the effect of strain rate. It was observed that the effect of GO was less important for higher strain rates. The experimental compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of the nanocomposites were casted in empirical relations for low and high strain rates for various filler weight percentages. Scanning electron microscopy was also used to examine the quality of GO dispersion. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:1636–1647 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Maleic anhydride polypropylene modified cellulose nanofibril polypropylene nanocomposites with enhanced impact strength

Development of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) reinforced polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites using melt compounding processes has received considerable attention. The main challenges are to obtain well‐dispersed CNFs in the polymer matrix and to establish compatible linkages between the CNFs and PP. Manufacturing of CNF reinforced PP nanocomposites was conducted using a twin‐screw co‐rotating extruder with the masterbatch concept. Modifications of CNFs using maleic anhydride polypropylene were performed. The best mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are 1.94 GPa (tensile modulus), 32.8 MPa (tensile strength), 1.63 GPa (flexural modulus), 50.1 MPa (flexural strength), and 3.8 kJ m⁻² (impact strength), which represents about 36, 11, 21, 7, and 23% improvement, respectively, compared to those of pure PP (1.43 GPa, 29.5 MPa, 1.35 GPa, 46.9 MPa, and 3.1 kJ m⁻²). Fracture morphology examination indicated good dispersion of CNFs in the PP matrix was achieved through this specific manufacturing process. MAPP treatments enhanced the interfacial adhesion between the CNFs and PP. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:782–793, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Development of photo-anodes based on strontium doped zinc oxide-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for improving performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

The goal of this study was to create highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using strontium doped zinc oxide-reduced graphene oxide (Sr-doped ZnO/rGO) nanocomposites. As photo-anodes of DSSCs, ZnO, ZnO/rGO (with weight percent rGO in composites: 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt%) and Sr-doped ZnO/rGO (with Zn_1-xSr_xO nanoparticle stoichiometry: x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08) nanocomposites were designed and characterized. AFM, FESEM, XRD, EDS, XPS, PL, and FTIR analyses were used to investigate the morphology and structure properties of prepared nanocomposites. UV–vis spectroscopy and photo-electrochemical measurements were used to investigate the efficiency of prepared photo-anodes. The efficiency (η) and short-circuit photocurrent density (JSC) of DSSCs based on Zn_0.92Sr_0.08O/rGO nanocomposite were 7.98 % and 18.4 mA cm⁻², respectively. The results showed that doping Sr on ZnO/rGO nanocomposites resulted in a wide bandgap energy and increased the values of η, J_SC, IPCE, and photo-anode electron transportability. These findings suggest that Sr-doped ZnO/rGO nanocomposites can provide a novel approach for increasing photo-electrochemical activity in ZnO-based DSSCs.     

Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the physical properties of polyacrylonitrile

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing in dimethylacetamide, followed by film casting, and their physical properties were investigated. The heating scan of differential scanning calorimetry displayed only a single crystallization peak (T_c) without a melting peak, regardless of the presence of ZnO. The incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles decreased T_c by 13°C, and increased the heat of crystallization by 18%. Further, it greatly improved the thermal stability of PAN, even at the ZnO content as low as 0.1 wt %. The nanocomposites showed the UV transmittance peak at 365 nm, whose intensity was increased as ZnO content was increased. The presence of ZnO did not produce new peak nor shift the peaks with respect to PAN in wide angle X‐ray diffraction pattern. Introduction of a small amount of ZnO nanoparticles did not have notable effect on the tensile properties. However, 5 wt % loading of the nanoparticles increased the tensile modulus of PAN by 14.5% and decreased elongation at break dramatically. PAN nanocomposites with 5 wt % ZnO did not show any plateau region in stress–strain curve. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1854–1858, 2006     

Mechanical,thermal, and rheological properties of graphene‐based polypropylene nanocomposites prepared by melt mixing

In this article, we describe the fabrication by melt mixing of graphene‐polypropylene nanocomposites and present the effect of graphene addition on some selected properties of polypropylene (PP). The graphene nanosheets (GNs) used as nano‐reinforcing agents were obtained through chemical reduction of graphene oxide by hydrazine hydrate. GNs were characterized and successfully dispersed into PP matrix to produce PP/GNs nanocomposites. The effects of GNs content on thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties were reported, and the obtained results were discussed in terms of morphology and state of dispersion and distribution of the GNs within the polymer matrix. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction of the nanocomposites has shown a relatively good dispersion of GNs in the polymer matrix, with the presence of only few aggregates. Increasing GNs content resulted in a significant increase in both mechanical and thermal properties with only few percent of GNs loading. Rheological behavior of the PP/GNs nanocomposites showed a Maxwellian‐like behavior for low GNs concentrations and a viscoelastic solid‐like behavior for GNs content exceeding the concentration of the percolation threshold. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of crystal violet dye adsorption with poly(methyl methacrylate)–graphene oxide and poly(methyl methacrylate)–graphene oxide–zinc oxide nanocomposites

We successfully prepared poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)–graphene oxide (GO) and PMMA–GO–zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites and characterized them using different techniques. The adsorption performances of the as-prepared composites were investigated for crystal violet (CV) dye removal. The contact time as a main factor affecting the adsorption process by adsorbents was studied. Because the adsorption capacity value for CV was found to show no extensive changes after 35 min, 35 min was selected as the best contact time for our system. The adsorption results revealed that the best capacity of CV adsorption onto the PMMA–GO and PMMA–GO–ZnO nanocomposites occurred at pH 12 and 298 K. The respective entropies (−0.208 and −0.168 kJ mol⁻¹ K⁻¹) and enthalpies (−72.86 kJ/mol, and −55.54 kJ/mol) for PMMA–GO and PMMA–GO–ZnO and Gibbs energy revealed that the process of adsorption was exothermic. In addition, the Elovich, pseudo-first-order, intraparticle diffusion, and pseudo-second-order (four types) models were applied to our kinetic study. Our results indicate that CV adsorption onto PMMA–GO and PMMA–GO–ZnO was good with the pseudo-second-order (type 1) and pseudo-first-order models because of the low χ² value and the high correlation coefficient value. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47495.     

Nanoparticules Mass Effect of ZnO on the Properties of Poly(4-Chloroaniline)/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites

4-Chloroaniline (4ClAni) in the presence of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization in hydrochloric acid solution using Ammonium persulfate as oxidant. The effects of amount of ZnO nanoparticles (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 g, respectively) on the properties of products were investigated. The obtained nanocomposites was characterized using XRD, IR, UV–visible, and XPS which confirmed the incorporation of the nanoparticle ZnO in the P(4ClAni) matrix and the maximum interaction occurs for 2 g ZnO loading. The TGA analysis was used to confirm the thermal stability and number of water molecules in each nanocomposites chain unit. Although the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles reduces the electric conductivity of the P(4ClAni), the resulting nanocomposites still keep high conductivities, ranging between 2.19 × 10^?2 and 5.92 × 10^?4 S cm^?1. Good electrochemical response has been observed for samples of amounts ZnO less than 2 g; the observed redox processes indicate that the polymerization on ZnO nanoparticles produces electroactive polymers. The P(4ClAni) layer adhered well to the ZnO nanoparticles and can be used as practical applications.     

Evaluation of PP/EPDM nanocomposites filled with SiO2, TiO2 and ZnO nanofillers as thermoplastic elastomeric insulators

Abstract

Thermoplastic elastomer, which has important characteristics for cable insulation, was developed by melt blending of polypropylene (PP) with ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) at various blend ratios together with SiO₂, TiO₂ and ZnO nanofillers at fixed loading of 2 vol.-%. The influence of EPDM content and the presence of nanofillers in the blend on burning rate, hydrophobicity and dielectric breakdown strength were investigated. Burning rate of PP/EPDM/ZnO was significantly reduced, implying that there was an improvement in fire retardancy with the addition of ZnO nanofillers in the polymer blend. Both SiO₂ and ZnO filled system showed an improvement in hydrophobicity. Furthermore, dielectric breakdown strength showed higher value in EPDM rich blends. In addition, the presence of nanofillers deteriorated the dielectric breakdown strength of PP/EPDM nanocomposites.     

Modification of polypropylene filter with metal oxide and reduced graphene oxide for water treatment

A hydrothermal method for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/titanium dioxide filter (RGO/TiO₂) and reduced graphene oxide/zinc oxide filter (RGO/ZnO) by using polypropylene (PP) porous filter is reported. Field emission scanning electron microscopy illustrated that the nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets. Flexural tests showed that the physical properties of the modified filters have greater strength than the original filter. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal property of the modified filters is the same as that of the original filter. Under a halogen lamp, the modified filter exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The RGO/TiO₂ filter maintained its ability to degrade MB efficiently, even after five cycles of photocatalysis.