Physical properties ZnO nanoparticle-filled Polyacrylonitrile

Keywords:
nanocomposite, physical properties, polyacrylonitrile, zinc oxide

Abstract:
Polyacrylonitrile(PAN)/ZnO nanocomposites were prepared by solution blending in dimethyl acetamide(DMAc), followed by film casting. The rheological properties of the solutions and physical properties of the nanocomposites thus prepared were investigated. PAN solutions with ZnO nanoparticles showed higher dynamic viscosity(_') than the pure PAN solution even at such an extremely low loading level of nanoparticle, 0.1 wt%. They showed maximum at the loading level of ZnO, 1 wt%. The Cole-Cole plot of PAN solutions didn't give a master curve independent of ZnO concentration. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) revealed that ZnO nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed within the PAN matrix. The heating scan of differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) displayed only a single crystallization peak(Tc) without melting peak regardless of the presence of ZnO. The introduction of ZnO nanoparticles decreased Tc by ca. 13 _, and increased the heat of crystallization by ca. 18% in comparison with pure PAN. The nanocomposites showed the UV transmittance peak at 365 nm, whose intensity was increased with loading level. 5 wt% loading of the ZnO increased the modulus by 14.5% and decreased elongation to break dramatically leading to a very small value of toughness.

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Nanotech 2005 Conference Program Abstract