Infusing High-density Polyethylene with Graphene-Zinc Oxide to Produce Antibacterial Nanocomposites with Improved Properties

摘要

Nanocomposites of high-density polyethylene(HDPE)modified with 0.2 phr graphene-zinc oxide(GN-ZnO)exhibited optimal mechanical properties and thermal stability.Two other nano-materials—GN and nano-ZnO—were also used to compare them with GN-ZnO.increasing the content of GN-ZnO gradually enhanced the antibacterial and barrier properties,but the addition of 0.3 phr GN-ZnO led to agglomeration that caused defects in the nanocomposites.Herein,we investigated the antibacterial and barrier properties of HDPE nanocomposites infused with different nanoparticles(GN,ZnO,GN-ZnO)of varying concentrations.HDPE and the nanoparticles were meltblended together in a Haake-Buchler Rheomixer to produce a new environment-friendly nano-material with improved physical and chemical properties.The following characterizations were conducted:tensile test,thermogravimetric analysis,morphology,differential scanning calorimetry,X-ray diffraction,antibacterial test,and oxygen and water vapor permeation test.The results showed that the crystallinity of HDPE was affected with the addition of GN-ZnO,and the nanocomposites had effective antibacterial capacity,strong mechanical properties,high thermal stability,and excellent barrier performance.This type of HDPE nanocomposites reinforced with GN-ZnO would be attractive for packaging industries.