Thermal and mechanical properties of in situ polymerized polyethylene/tetra-needle like ZnO whisker composite

A 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified tetra-needle like ZnO whiskers fillers containing Ziegler-Natta catalyst is synthesized through a coagglomeration method. The surface of filler is fully wrapped with Ziegler-Natta catalyst and the active sites are well dispersed in the catalyst. It exhibits good activity (28.7 g-polyethylene/g-cat) towards ethylene polymerization to give a composite of polyethylene and tetra-needle like ZnO whiskers filler with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties due to the good dispersion and interface adhesion of the filler to polyethylene matrix. Therefore, this study provides a simple method to prepare high-performance polyethylene with uniform filler distribution, good thermal stability, rigidity, and toughness.

Automated summary

A modified tetra-needle like ZnO whiskers filler is synthesized through a coagglomeration method, and it exhibits good activity towards ethylene polymerization, leading to enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties of polyethylene.