Preparation and characterization of isotactic polypropylene/zinc oxide microcomposites with antibacterial activity

In this study, we investigated the influence of ZnO particles obtained by spray pyrolysis with submicron dimensions on the structure, morphology, thermal stability, photodegradation stability, mechanical and antibacterial properties of isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/ZnO composites prepared by melt mixing. The results of the morphological analyses indicate that, despite the surface polarity mismatch between iPP and ZnO, the extrusion process and the unique characteristics of the utilized particles allow a composite with a fair distribution of particles to be obtained, although some agglomeration phenomena can occur, which primarily depends on the composition of the composite. The addition of ZnO particles imparts significant improvements on the photodegradation resistance of iPP to ultraviolet irradiation, which confirms that ZnO particles act as screens for this type of radiation. The thermal stability of the iPP/ZnO composites is improved with respect to that of neat iPP and increases with the content of ZnO. The iPP/ZnO composites exhibit significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. This activity is dependent on exposure time and composition. © 2013 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) All rights reserved.