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<p>Natural rubber (NR) based nanocomposites reinforced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were developed and evaluated for their structural, mechanical, and dielectric properties. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through a green route and incorporated into NR as well as NR/Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) systems using a solution casting technique. The influence of nanoparticle loading (0.02–0.14 wt%) and chemical crosslinking with pentene-1,5-diylidenediamine (PDD) was examined in detail. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicated the formation of crosslinked structures along with Zn–O interactions, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed good dispersion of nanoparticles at lower concentrations and the onset of agglomeration at higher loadings. A clear improvement in mechanical properties was observed with both nanoparticle addition and crosslinking. The tensile strength of uncured NR increased from 0.242 to 0.410&#xa0;MPa at 0.1% ZnO loading, whereas cured NR/ZnO composites showed a maximum value of 5.953&#xa0;MPa. In the NR/PVA system, the presence of PVA led to a significant enhancement in strength (about 482%), with the cured NR/PVA/ZnO nanocomposite reaching a maximum tensile strength of 9.96&#xa0;MPa at 0.08% ZnO as a result of molecular level interpenetration. The elongation at break also improved from 664 to 1101% at 0.06% ZnO, suggesting better flexibility at optimum filler levels. The dielectric behavior of the composites was also influenced by ZnO incorporation. An increase in dielectric constant was observed with increasing nanoparticle content, mainly due to interfacial polarization and space-charge contributions. This effect was more pronounced in the cured and NR/PVA systems. At the same time, dielectric loss remained within a moderate range, likely due to restricted charge carrier movement within the crosslinked network. AC conductivity showed a gradual increase with ZnO loading and reached a maximum around 0.08–0.1%, indicating the onset of a percolation threshold. Overall, the results suggest that a combination of ZnO reinforcement, PDD-induced crosslinking, and NR/PVA interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) formation can effectively improve both mechanical and dielectric performance. These nanocomposites show potential for use in flexible dielectric and related energy applications.</p>

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Influence of ZnO nanoparticles on the mechanical and dielectric properties of NR/PVA interpenetrating networks

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月25日

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  • E. Nibil,
  • Jobish Johns,
  • C. J. Binish,
  • N. Yeampon,
  • K. Ekwipoo,
  • M. Sridharan,
  • M. P. Sham Aan

摘要

Natural rubber (NR) based nanocomposites reinforced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were developed and evaluated for their structural, mechanical, and dielectric properties. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through a green route and incorporated into NR as well as NR/Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) systems using a solution casting technique. The influence of nanoparticle loading (0.02–0.14 wt%) and chemical crosslinking with pentene-1,5-diylidenediamine (PDD) was examined in detail. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicated the formation of crosslinked structures along with Zn–O interactions, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed good dispersion of nanoparticles at lower concentrations and the onset of agglomeration at higher loadings. A clear improvement in mechanical properties was observed with both nanoparticle addition and crosslinking. The tensile strength of uncured NR increased from 0.242 to 0.410 MPa at 0.1% ZnO loading, whereas cured NR/ZnO composites showed a maximum value of 5.953 MPa. In the NR/PVA system, the presence of PVA led to a significant enhancement in strength (about 482%), with the cured NR/PVA/ZnO nanocomposite reaching a maximum tensile strength of 9.96 MPa at 0.08% ZnO as a result of molecular level interpenetration. The elongation at break also improved from 664 to 1101% at 0.06% ZnO, suggesting better flexibility at optimum filler levels. The dielectric behavior of the composites was also influenced by ZnO incorporation. An increase in dielectric constant was observed with increasing nanoparticle content, mainly due to interfacial polarization and space-charge contributions. This effect was more pronounced in the cured and NR/PVA systems. At the same time, dielectric loss remained within a moderate range, likely due to restricted charge carrier movement within the crosslinked network. AC conductivity showed a gradual increase with ZnO loading and reached a maximum around 0.08–0.1%, indicating the onset of a percolation threshold. Overall, the results suggest that a combination of ZnO reinforcement, PDD-induced crosslinking, and NR/PVA interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) formation can effectively improve both mechanical and dielectric performance. These nanocomposites show potential for use in flexible dielectric and related energy applications.