Polypropylene/ZnO Nanocomposites: Mechanical Properties, Photocatalytic Dye Degradation, and Antibacterial Property

Journal article

Authors/Editors

Strategic Research Themes

Publication Details

Author list: Prasert, Ampawan; Sontikaew, Somchoke; Sriprapai, Dilok; Chuangchote, Surawut;

Publisher: MDPI

Publication year: 2020

Journal acronym: Materials

Volume number: 13

Issue number: 4

Start page: 914

ISSN: 1996-1944

eISSN: 1996-1944

URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85082005251&doi=10.3390%2fma13040914&partnerID=40&md5=b68beabb7902dee07273ebfd4fdf985b

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Nanocomposite materials were prepared by compounding polypropylene (PP) with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, using a twin-screw extruder. The compound was molded by injection molding to form dumbbell-shaped specimens. The influence of ZnO nanoparticle content on the morphology, mechanical properties, chemical structure, photocatalytic activity, and antibacterial properties of the obtained nanocomposites was investigated. The morphological images showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were well distributed in the PP matrix. Characterizations of the mechanical properties and chemical structures before and after sunlight exposure found that at the shortest exposure time, crosslinks could occur in the nanocomposites, which resulted in improved mechanical properties. However, sunlight exposure with the time period longer than 18 weeks caused the reduction of the mechanical properties, due to degradation of the PP matrix. It was found that PP with 2% ZnO could achieve the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue up to 59%. Moreover, the result of antibacterial tests indicated that the nanocomposites had better antibacterial properties than neat PP. © 2020 by the authors.

Keywords

nanocomposite, Zinc oxide