The Effect of Encapsulation of Nano Zinc Oxide with Silica on the UV Resistance of Polypropylene

The objective of this study is to improve the performances of the ceramic UV stabilizers in polymer nanocomposites. Silica coated ZnO nanoparticles were prepared and melt blended into polypropylene (PP) matrix in order to introduce an inert silica shell between the ZnO and polymer chains as an isolation layer and protect this polymer against photodegradation. The UV resistance of the nanocomposites was evaluated by accelerated aging test. The results indicated that the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO particles was suppressed via encapsulating with silica. The coated ZnO could effectively improve the UV stability of the PP nanocomposites.