High-Performance of Nanoparticles and Their Effects on The Mechanical, Thermal Stability and UV-Shielding Properties of PMMA Nanocomposites

Moustafa, Hesham; Darwish, Darwish; Youssef, Ahmed; Reda, Sameh; El-Wakil, Abdelaziz

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2017.1932.1159

High-Performance of Nanoparticles and Their Effects on The Mechanical, Thermal Stability and UV-Shielding Properties of PMMA Nanocomposites

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Polymer Metrology &amp; Technology Department, National Institute of Standards (NIS), Tersa Street, El Haram, El-Giza, P.O Box 136, Giza 12211, Egypt.

² Polymer Metrology & Technology Department, National Institute of Standards (NIS), Tersa Street, El Haram, El-Giza, P.O Box 136, Giza 12211, Egypt.

³ Packing and Packaging Materials Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth St. (former El Tahrir st.), Dokki, Giza, Egypt, P.O. 12622

⁴ Photometry and Radiometry Department, National Institute of Standards (NIS), Tersa Street, El Haram, El-Giza, P.O Box 136, Giza 12211, Egypt.

10.21608/ejchem.2017.1932.1159

Abstract

The target of this work is to choose a suitable nanoparticle for preparing a highly ultraviolet (UV)-shielding from poly (methylmethacrylate)(PMMA) nanocomposites at low concentration and to decrease the destructive effects of UV radiation. Morphologies of the synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Whereas, pure PMMA and its nanocomposites were characterized by using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing, UV-visible spectra (T%), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained results showed a good correlation between the tensile properties, DMA and TG analysis depending on the type of nanoparticles used in the PMMA matrix, especially in case of ZrO2 and ZnO. Furthermore, UV-vis spectra were analyzed ranging from 200 nm to 800 nm. It showed that UV radiation is significantly blocked from 100% to 0.2 % in the UV range between 200 nm and 360 nm for pure PMMA and to 0.08 % for PMMA/CeO2 nanocomposite and to 0.01 % for PMMA/CeO2 with various types of nanoparticles. After 360 nm, pure PMMA and PMMA/CeO2 were a little bit affected by UV lights, whereas the PMMA based on different nanoparticles was not affected. This result demonstrates that these nanocomposites could be strongly candidates for the sunscreens or for several fields that related to the UV photodegradation effects.

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