Mechanical, thermal, and ultraviolet resistance properties of polycarbonate/cerium oxide composites

The composites containing polycarbonate (PC) and cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) nanoparticles as well as nanoparticles modified with stearic acid (mCeO 2 ) have been prepared using a melt blending method. The composites are studied by using FTIR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy, and their tensile strength and ultraviolet (UV) resistance are examined. The results indicate that the introduction of CeO 2 nanoparticles at 1 wt% can improve the mechanical properties of PC, while a weight ratio that is over 1 wt% can lead to a reduction in the tensile strength. Compared with the PC/CeO 2 composites, the PC/mCeO 2 composites provide better mechanical properties. Besides, the introduction of CeO 2 nanoparticles gives PC promising UV resistance. However, different amounts of CeO 2 nanoparticles used provide similar thermal and UV resistance in PC. In a comparison of the PC/CeO 2 and PC/mCeO 2 composites, there are no apparent differences observed between CeO 2 and mCeO 2 on improving the UV resistance of PC.