Abstract
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 melt-blended 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.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ahmad, J.; Bazaka, K.; Anderson, L. J.; White, R. D.; Jacob, M. V. Materials and methods for encapsulation of OPV: a review. Renew. Sustainable. Energy. Rev.2013, 27, 104–117.
Lagaron, J. M.; Gimenez, E.; Catala, R.; Gavara, R. Mechanisms of moisture sorption in barrier polymers used in food packaging: amorphous polyamide vs. high-barrier ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer studied by vibrational spectroscopy. Macromol. Chem. Phys.2003, 204, 704–713.
Tsou, C.; Yao, W.; Lu, Y. Antibacterial property and cytotoxicity of a poly(lactic acid)/nanosilver-doped multiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposite. Polymers2017, 9, 100–113.
Jo, J. H.; Li, Y.; Kim, S. M.; Kim, H. E.; Koh, Y. H. Hydroxyapatite/poly (ε-caprolactone) double coating on magnesium for enhanced corrosion resistance and coating flexibility. J. Biomater. Appl.2013, 28, 617–625.
Pan, W.; Yin, D. X.; Jing, H. R.; Chang, H. J.; Wen, H.; Liang, D. H. Core-corona structure formed by hyaluronic acid and poly(L-lysine) via kinetic path. Chinese J. Polym. Sci.2019, 37, 36–42.
Zhang, K.; Li, X.; Nie, M.; Wang, Q. Helical flow-driven alignment of off-axial silver-functionalized titanium dioxide fibers in polypropylene tube suitable for medical applications. Compos. Sci. Technol.2018, 158, 121–127.
Zheng, P.; Zhang, P.; Sun, Z.; Zhu, C.; An, Q. Nanosrructured polyelectrolyte-surfactant complex pervaporation membranes for ethanol recovery: the relationship between the membrane structure and separation performance. Chinese J. Polym. Sci.2018, 36, 25–33.
Pelto, J.; Verho, T.; Ronkainen, H.; Kaunisto, K.; Metsäjoki, J.; Seitsonen, J.; Karttunen, M. Matrix morphology and the particle dispersion in HDPE nanocomposites with enhanced wear resistance. Polym. Test.2019, 77, 105897.
Tsou, C. H.; Yao, W. H.; Hung, W. S.; Suen, M. C.; de Guzman, M. R.; Chen, J.; Tsou, C. Y.; Wang, R. Y.; Chen, J. C.; Wu, C. S. Innovative plasma process of grafting methyl diallylammonium salt onto polypropylene to impart antibacterial and hydrophilic surface properties. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.2018, 57, 2537–2545.
Tsou, C. H.; Wu, C. S.; Hung, W. S.; de Guzman, M. R.; Gao, C.; Wang, R. Y.; Suen, M. C. Rendering polypropylene biocomposites antibacterial through modification with oyster shell powder. Polymer2019, 160, 265–271.
Niknezhad, S.; Isayev, A. I. Online ultrasonic film casting of LLDPE and LLDPE/clay nanocomposites. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2013, 129, 263–275.
Alebooyeh, R.; MohammadiNafchi, A.; Jokr, M. The effects of ZnO nanorods on the characteristics of sago starch biodegradable films. J. Chem. Health. Risks2012, 2, 13–16.
Arfat, Y. A.; Benjakul, S.; Prodpran, T.; Sumpavapol, P.; Songtipya, P. Physicomechanical characterization and antimicrobial properties of fish protein isolate/fish skin gelatin-zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite films. Food Bioprocess. Technol.2016, 9, 101–112.
Novoselov, K. S.; Geim, A. K.; Morozov, S. V.; Jiang, D.; Zhang, Y.; Dubonos, S. V.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Firsov, A. A. Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films. Science2004, 306, 666–669.
He, F.; Fan, J.; Ma, D.; Zhang, L.; Leung, C.; Chan, H. L. The attachment of FeO nanoparticles to graphene oxide by covalent bonding. Carbon2010, 48, 3139–3144.
He, F.; Lam, K. H.; Fan, J.; Chan, L. H. Improved dielectric properties for chemically functionalized exfoliated graphite nanoplates/syndiotactic polystyrene composites prepared by a solution-blending method. Carbon2014, 80, 496–503.
Girdthep, S.; Sankong, W.; Pongmalee, A.; Saelee, T.; Punyodom, W.; Meepowpan, P.; Worajittiphon, P. Enhanced crystallization, thermal properties, and hydrolysis resistance of poly(lactic acid) and its stereocomplex by incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets. Polym. Test.2017, 61, 229–239.
Lau, K. Y.; Ker, P. J.; Abas, A. F.; Alresheedi, M. T.; Mahdi, M. A. Long-term stability and sustainability evaluation for modelocked fiber laser with graphene/PMMA saturable absorbers. Opt. Commun.2019, 435, 251–254.
Roshan, M. J.; Jeevika, A.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Shankaran, D. R. One-pot fabrication and characterization of graphene/PMMA composite flexible films. Mater. Res. Bull.2018, 105, 133–141.
Kashyap, S.; Pratihar, S. K.; Behera, S. K. Strong and ductile graphene oxide reinforced PVA nanocomposites. J. Alloys. Compd.2016, 684, 254–260.
Shao, L.; Li, J.; Guang, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, H.; Che, X.; Wang, Y. PVA/polyethyleneimine-functionalized graphene composites with optimized properties. Mater. Des.2016, 99, 235–242.
Elashmawi, I. S.; Alatawi, N. S.; Elsayed, N. H. Preparation and characterization of polymer nanocomposites based on PVDF/PVC doped with graphene nanoparticles. Results. Phys.2017, 7, 636–640.
Hasan, M.; Lee, M. Enhancement of the thermo-mechanical properties and efficacy of mixing technique in the preparation of graphene/PVC nanocomposites compared to carbon nanotubes/PVC. Prog. Nat. Sci: Mater. Int.2014, 24, 579–587.
Babaahmadi, V.; Montazer, M.; Gao, W. Low temperature welding of graphene on PET with silver nanoparticles producing higher durable electro-conductive fabric. Carbon2017, 118, 443–451.
Cao, X.; Liu, X.; Li, X.; Lei, X.; Chen, W. Conductive stability of graphene on PET and glass substrates under blue light irradiation. Opt. Commun.2018, 406, 169–172.
Koutsoumpis, S.; Klonos, P.; Raftopoulos, K. N.; Papadakis, C. M.; Bikiaris, D.; Pissis, P. Morphology, thermal properties and molecular dynamics of syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS) nanocomposites with aligned graphene oxide and graphene nanosheets. Polymer2018, 153, 548–557.
Mistretta, M. C.; Botta, L.; Vinci, A. D.; Ceraulo, M.; La Mantia, F. P. Photo-oxidation of polypropylene/graphene nanoplatelets composites. Polym. Degrad. Stab.2019, 160, 35–43.
Li, C. Q.; Zha, J. W.; Long, H. Q.; Wang, S. J.; Zhang, D. L.; Dang, Z. M. Mechanical and dielectric properties of graphene incorporated polypropylene nanocomposites using polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride as a compatibilizer. Compos. Sci. Technol.2017, 153, 111–118.
La Mantia, F. P.; Ceraulo, M.; Mistretta, M. C.; Botta, L. Effect of the elongational flow on morphology and properties of polypropylene/graphene nanoplatelets nanocomposites. Polym. Test.2018, 71, 10–17.
Li, H.; Xie, X. M. Polyolefin-functionalized graphene oxide and its GO/HDPE nanocomposite with excellent mechanical properties. Chin. Chem. Lett.2018, 29, 161–165.
Sun, C. Q.; Wang, Y.; Tay, B. K.; Li, S.; Huang, H.; Zhang, Y. B. Correlation between the melting point of a nanosolid and the cohesive energy of a surface atom. J. Phys. Chem. B2002, 106, 10701–10705.
Phukan, S.; Mahanta, A.; Rashid, M. H. Size-tunable ZnO nanotapes as an efficient catalyst for oxidative chemoselective CB bond cleavage of arylboronic acids. Appl. Catal. A2018, 562, 58–66.
Liu, J.; Wang, Y.; Ma, J.; Peng, Y.; Wang, A. A review on bidirectional analogies between the photocatalysis and antibacterial properties of ZnO. J. Alloys. Compd.2018, 783, 898–918.
Adawi, H. I.; Newbold, M. A.; Reed, J. M.; Vance, M. E.; Feitshans, I.; Bickford, L. R.; Lewinski, N. A. Nano-enabled personal care products: current developments in consumer safety. Nanolmpact2018, 11, 170–179.
Newman, M. D.; Stotland, M.; Ellis, J. I. The safety of nanosized particles in titanium dioxide- and zinc oxide-based sunscreens. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol.2009, 61, 690–692.
Kumar, K.; Shyamlal, B. R. K.; Gupta, A.; Mathur, M.; Swami, A. K.; Chaudhary, S. Efficacious fungicidal potential of composite derived from nano-aggregates of Cu-Diclofenac complexes and ZnO nanoparticles. Compos. Commun.2018, 10, 81–88.
Guo, W.; Xue, X.; Wang, S.; Lin, C.; Wang, Z. L. An integrated power pack of dye-sensitized solar cell and Li battery based on double-sided TiO2 nanotube arrays. Nano Lett.2012, 12, 2520–2523.
Look, D. C. Recent advances in ZnO materials and devices. Mater. Sci. Eng. B2001, 80, 383–387.
Ozgur, U.; Alivov, Y. I.; Liu, C.; Teke, A.; Reshchikov, M.; Doğan, S.; Morkoç, H. A comprehensive review of ZnO materials and devices. J. Appl. Phys.2005, 98, 41301–41310.
Wang, L.; Zheng, Y.; Li, X.; Dong, W.; Tang, W.; Chen, B.; Xu, W. Nanostructured porous ZnO film with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Thin Solid Films2011, 519, 5673–5678.
Zhang, L.; Jian, Y.; Ding, Y.; Povey, M.; York, D. Investigation into the antibacterial behaviour of suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO nanofluids). J. NanoparticleRes.2007, 9, 479–489.
Janaki, A. C.; Sailatha, E.; Gunasekaran, S. Synthesis, characteristics and antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles. Spectrochim. Acta Part A2015, 144, 17–22.
Yang, X. J.; Shi, C. S.; Xu, X. L. Studies and development of nano-ZnO. J. Inorg. Polym. Mater.2003, 18, 1–10.
Tarani, E.; Terzopoulou, Z.; Bikiaris, D. N.; Kyratsi, T.; Chrissafis, K.; Vourlias, G. Thermal conductivity and degradation behavior of HDPE/graphene nanocomposites. J. Therm. Anal. Calorim.2017, 129, 1715–1726.
Mwafy, E. A.; Abd-Elmgeed, A. A.; Kandil, A. A.; Elsabbagh, I. A.; Elfass, M. M.; Gaafar, M. S. High UV-shielding performance of zinc oxide/high-density polyethylene nanocomposites. Spectrosc. Lett.2015, 48, 646–652.
Tang, W.; Santare, M. H.; Advani, S. G. Melt processing and mechanical property characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotube/high density polyethylene (MWNT/HDPE) composite films. Carbon2003, 41, 2779–2785.
Li, S. C.; Li, Y. N. Mechanical and antibacterial properties of modified nano-ZnO/high-density polyethylene composite films with a low doped content of nano-ZnO. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2010, 116, 2965–2969.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the following organizations: Wuliangye Group Co., Ltd. (No. CXY2019ZR001); Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program (No. 2019JDRC0029); Zigong City Science and Technology (Nos. 2017XC16 and 2019CXRC01); Opening Project of Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province (Nos. 2016CL10, 2017CL03, 2019CL05, 2018CL08, and 2018CL07); Opening Project of Sichuan Province, the Foundation of Introduced Talent of Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (Nos. 2014RC31, 2017RCL31, 2017RCL36, 2017RCL16, 2019RC05, and 2019RC07). Appreciation is also extended to Apex Nanotek Co., Ltd.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic Supplementary Material
10118_2020_2392_MOESM1_ESM.pdf
Infusing high-density polyethylene with graphene-zinc oxide to produce antibacterial nanocomposites with improved properties
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yao, YL., De Guzman, M.R., Duan, H. et al. Infusing High-density Polyethylene with Graphene-Zinc Oxide to Produce Antibacterial Nanocomposites with Improved Properties. Chin J Polym Sci 38, 898–907 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-020-2392-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-020-2392-z