Infusing High-density Polyethylene with Graphene-Zinc Oxide to Produce Antibacterial Nanocomposites with Improved Properties

Nanocomposites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) modified with 0.2 phr graphene-zinc oxide (GN-ZnO) exhibited optimal mechanical properties and thermal stability. Two other nano-materials—GN and nano-ZnO—were also used to compare them with GN-ZnO. Increasing the content of GN-ZnO gradually enhanced the antibacterial and barrier properties, but the addition of 0.3 phr GN-ZnO led to agglomeration that caused defects in the nanocomposites. Herein, we investigated the antibacterial and barrier properties of HDPE nanocomposites infused with different nanoparticles (GN, ZnO, GN-ZnO) of varying concentrations. HDPE and the nanoparticles were melt-blended together in a Haake-Buchler Rheomixer to produce a new environment-friendly nano-material with improved physical and chemical properties. The following characterizations were conducted: tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis, morphology, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, antibacterial test, and oxygen and water vapor permeation test. The results showed that the crystallinity of HDPE was affected with the addition of GN-ZnO, and the nanocomposites had effective antibacterial capacity, strong mechanical properties, high thermal stability, and excellent barrier performance. This type of HDPE nanocomposites reinforced with GN-ZnO would be attractive for packaging industries.