Effects of epoxy resin-modified zinc-ion-coated nanosilica on structural, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of propylene-ethylene copolymer

This paper reports a comparative study of propylene–ethylene copolymer (EP) nanocomposites synthesized using zinc‐ion (Zn2+)‐coated nanosilica (ZNS) and the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA, an epoxy resin)‐modified zinc‐ion‐coated nanosilica (EZNS) as nanofillers. These nanocomposites were prepared using the ‘melt mixing’ method at a constant loading level of 2.5 wt%. This loading level is much lower than that used for fillers in conventional composites. The EP nanocomposites were characterized using wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometer (WAXD), a thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA), a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DMA results showed a higher storage modulus for EP‐epoxy‐modified Zn2+‐coated nanosilica nanocomposite (EP‐EZNS) with respect to EP and EP‐Zn2+‐coated nanosilica nanocomposite (EP‐ZNS). In addition, TGA thermograms showed an increase in degradation temperature of EP in the presence of EZNS. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry