Polycarbonate is a transparent commercial engineering polymer used in many applications due to its properties such as high shock resistance, thermal stability, toughness and good optical properties as well as other mechanical properties [
Polycarbonates are mainly used in electrical insulators also used in production of Blu-ray Discs and DVDs [
TiO2 is considered as one of the important environmentally friendly materials to be used to create new applications for renewable energy [
The introduction of nanoparticle had been widely investigated and reported to be the most efficient method to improve the properties of polycarbonate. The self-cleaning coating has been used in new applications including buildings, sculptures, cars and machinery. This coating is based on TiO2 optical stimulation. TiO2 self-cleaning with polycarbonate material shows better scratch resistance and hardness. Perfect mechanical properties of self-cleaning coating make them useful in many applications [
Houman et al. [
Nima et al. [
Al-Shammary, Z. R. [
The aim of this paper is to improve the surface properties of polycarbonate by addition TiO2 nanoparticles. The pressing technique used to insert nanoparticles on the surface. This sample latter if needed excellent properties and homogenous in structure, they reformed by cutting them and extrude through twin-screw extruder device.
The used materials in this research are polycarbonate (PC) and titanium dioxide nano particles (TiO2). The used polycarbonate sheet is as
PProperty | Units | Value |
---|---|---|
Tensile Strength | (Mpa) | 37.5 |
Tensile Modulus of Elasticity | (KN) | 0.3 |
Melting Point | (˚C) | 269 |
Processes Temperature | (˚C) | 180 - 200 |
Impact Strength | (J/mm2) | 45 |
Density | (g/cm3) | 1.902 |
Hardness | (Shore D) | 81.1 |
Product name | TiO2 powder nanograde |
---|---|
Color | White |
Particle size | 45 nm |
TiO2 content | ≥99.8% |
Polycarbonate | 3 samples (5 cm × 5 cm × 2 mm) |
---|---|
TiO2 powder | 1% - 3% - 5% |
Temperature | 190˚C - 200˚C |
Temperature | 2 Map |
Time | 5 min |
At first cleaning the surface of polycarbonate sheets (5 cm × 5 cm) with thickness of 2mm with ethanol and washed with Distilled water then dried in electrical oven for 2 hours. After cleaning, dispersed TiO2 powder on the surface. Cover PC-TiO2 with a piece of sulfone to prevent the adhesion of the powder with the piston plates and for the interference of the nanoparticles to the cavities that cannot see in the surface. The large particle remain on the surface, therefore after pressing washed the sheet again with ethanol and Distilled water then dried.
Tests: Mechanical tests have been conducted (hardness, surface roughness and impact test) Includes standard specifications: for impact test-ASTMD256-87 by used charpy type instrument. Hardness of polycarbonate prepared according to ASTM D 2240. Tensile strength for PC with addition was performed by using (Bongshin model WDW-SE) instrument according to ASTM D-638-IV. Also used microstructure test as contact angle test used device was SL 200C―Optical Dynamic I Static Interfacial Tensiometer & Contact Angle Meter which manufactured in KINO Industry Co., Ltd., USA with contact angle range from 0 o to 180 o. FTIR-test also used to characterize the structure performed by using (FT-IR-OPUS_7.0 manufacturing by Bruker Company). UV-Vis double beam spectrophotometers, (SHIMADZU, UV-1800, Japan) used to check the absorbance of nanocomposite for different energy. DSC test was performed according to ASTM D3418-03 manufacturing by japan. AFM-Test was carried by tapping mode SPM model AA3000 ANGSTROM ADVANCED INC., USA, 2008 (AFM- Contact Mode). This test was performed using XRD 6000 instrument, manufactured by (SHIMADZU)―Japan.
the hardness for pure and nanocomposite material measure are by using shore hardness (D). The result of this test appear decreased in the hardness compared to pure that indicate to increase the flexibility with decreased the rigidity of material after addition of TiO2 as
showed from this test impact strength of material and it consider one of the ways to known the flexibility of polycarbonate pure and polycarbonate with TiO2. In which the impact improved after addition 3% of TiO2 make them better when the nanocomposite subjected to shock or loads as in
the Tensile strength of PC nanocomposite decreased with increasing the proportion of TiO2 nanoparticles from1 to 5 wt% as shown in
with 1, 3 and 5 wt% occurs decreased in the tensile strength. Also, the modulus of elasticity decreases with addition TiO2 nanoparticles. The results in this work agree with Z. Shammary [
the wettability of material measured by using contact angle test in which the wettability decreases with addition TiO2 nanoparticles is as in
From this, the smoothness for polycarbonate-pure and nanocomposite was measured as in
the chemical structure of nanocomposite clarifies by using FTIR-test. The result showed that no new peak appear and that indicate to physical interaction between the polycarbonate structure and TiO2 powder. It is noted from
the use of TiO2 is to avoid the photo-degradation of polycarbonate because TiO2 have ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation as shows in
This test shows Tg and Tm for polycarbonate before and after addition of TiO2 in different level. TiO2 decreased Tg with decreased hardness of polycarbonate that mean the flexibility of material increases and this better for the flexible screen as
from this test describe the roughness of the surface after addition TiO2 to the polycarbonate sheet; also know the size of TiO2 particle. With increases the grain size of particle, reduces the light transmission due to increases the crystallinity of nanocomposite as shown in
XRD Patterns of PC and PC with (1, 3 and 5 wt%) TiO2 shown in
When increasing the amount of TiO2 in PC matrix causes physical interface as shows in test. The peak from X-ray diffraction showed that amorphous matrix decreased with increasing the intensity of TiO2 peak after addition titanium dioxide.
We can conclude that better impact resistance, contact angle, hardness from this work in 0.03 TiO2 compared to other levels. FTIR for samples showed physical interaction occurred for polycarbonate; TiO2 also showed that all levels of TiO2 gave the same proportions of transparency. Reducing in tensile and elastic modulus indicated to increase the flexibility of composite with reduced Tg and increased the crystallinity of material after addition of TiO2. The transparency of polycarbonate sheet decreased with addition of TiO2 and this depended on constriction of powder that used. XRD showed no chemical interaction that occurred between polycarbonate and TiO2 nanoparticles.
Studies have shown the resistance of scratching, hardness and other mechanical properties of polycarbonate are improved by using TiO2 nano-particles. The present work aims to improve the mechanical properties and morphology of the surface without effect on the physical properties as transparency of polycarbonate.
Saad, N.A. and Jwad, E.R. (2018) Investigation of Addition Titanium Dioxide on General Properties of Polycarbonate. Open Access Library Jour- nal, 5: e4229. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104229