SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EPOXY-ZnO NANOCOMPOSITES

Abstract

The polymer based nanocomposites have been the exceptionally growing field of research for developing the materials in the last few decades and have been mainly focusing the thermal stability, stiffness and tensile properties of composites materials. In the present work, as-synthesized and calcined ZnO NPs were used as particulate reinforcement in an epoxy matrix. ZnO NPs were synthesized by co-precipitation method. Size of these NPs was tuned from 9nm-70nm by varying time and temperature of reaction. These particles were characterized by IR, UV, XRD, TGA, SEM and PL. As-synthesized ZnO NPs have promising optical, luminescent and photocatalytic activity. From the range of different sized particles obtained, two sizes were selected for incorporation into composites films. Organic-inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized from Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DER332) epoxy resin and 2,2´dimethyl-4,4´-diaminodicyclohexylmethane. Four series of nanocomposites were synthesized by varying the percentage of ZnO NPs. These composite systems were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared microscopy (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), Ultra Violet Spectroscopy (UV) & Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). ZnO NPs were well dispersed in composites films forms three-dimensional network of epoxy-amine nanocomposites network as characterized by SEM. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed an increase of glass transition temperature Tg as wt% of particles increases. Even a small amount of ZnO NPs was beneficial to increase the Tg of composite from 91oC to 100oC.These nanocomposites have high UV shielding properties.