The Photocatalytic and Mechanical Properties of Claw‐Shaped ZnO Decorated UHMWPE Fibers and Their Composites

ABSTRACT Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers suffer from surface inertness, low surface energy, and limited functionality, which restrict their interfacial adhesion and performance in composite applications. To address these issues, this study developed a multifunctional fiber composite system by epitaxially growing claw‐shaped zinc oxide (C‐ZnO) architectures on UHMWPE fiber substrates through controlled hydrothermal crystallization. The resulting C‐ZnO‐UHMWPE fibers were evaluated as stationary photocatalytic adsorbents in a fixed‐bed setup, demonstrating a 59.8% elimination efficiency for 10 mg/L Rhodamine B under UV irradiation. Furthermore, the modified fibers exhibited significantly enhanced surface wettability, roughness, and surface energy. When incorporated into rigid polyurethane (RPU) composites, the C‐ZnO‐UHMWPE fibers led to a 190.8% increase in tensile strength compared to pure RPU and a 24.3% improvement over composites with pristine UHMWPE fibers. Impact toughness was also markedly improved, by 171.0% and 67.7%, respectively. This work presents a viable strategy for designing multifunctional fiber reinforcements with combined photocatalytic and mechanical enhancements for applications in environmental remediation and high‐performance composites.