ZnO nanoparticles favours heterogeneous nucleation in PET–ZnO nanocomposites

Abstract

The structural and chemical properties with non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PET–ZnO nanocomposites have been reported in this article. ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized via chemical route with average diameter 19 nm which made confirm by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) techniques. PET–ZnO nanocomposites have been prepared by solution casting method. The structural and chemical changes occurred in poly (ethylene terephthalate) after inclusion of ZnO nanoparticles have been studied with the help of XRD and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. It was observed from differential scanning calorimeter that ZnO nanoparticles work as nucleating agent for heterogeneous nucleation in PET matrix under non-isothermal crystallization process. The combined Avrami and Ozawa models have been proved adequate to explain non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PET–ZnO nanocomposites, and also, ZnO nanoparticles have been caused to reduce crystallization activation energy in pristine PET as per the applied Kissinger model.

Keywords:

• heterogeneous nucleation
• activation energy
• non-isothermal crystallization
• polymer nanocomposite

Acknowledgements

Authors (HA, VKS) are thankful to DST, Govt. of India. DST has granted sophisticated research facilities to Banasthali Vidyapith under its CURIE scheme. One of the authors (KA) is thankful to DST, New Delhi, for funding under INSPIRE faculty award.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.