Hybrid transparent coatings based on zirconia nanoparticle fillers and epoxy resin were designed to increase scratch resistance of commodity polymers without impairing their optical properties. Suspensions of nano-crystalline ZrO2 in benzyl alcohol were synthesized via a versatile non-hydrolytic sol-gel process using ZrCl4 as precursor. The obtained ZrO2 nanoparticles showed a crystalline structure attributable to a tetragonal phase and an average particle size of 2 nm. ZrO2 nanoparticles, suspended in tert-butanol, were mixed with a commercial epoxy resin (5 and 10%wt.). The organic solvent was then evaporated and hybrid composites were deposited on polycarbonate and poly(methyl methacrylate). The obtained coatings showed a homogeneous adhesion and a negligible effect on the transparency of these polymers. An increased scratch-resistance was obtained by increasing the ZrO2 nanoparticles content. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Synthesis and characterization of scratch-resistant hybrid coatings based on non-hydrolytic sol-gel ZrO2 nanoparticles / Tana, Francesca; Messori, Massimo; Contini, Davide; Cigada, Alberto; Valente, Teodoro; Variola, Fabio; De Nardo, Luigi; Bondioli, Federica. - In: PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS. - ISSN 0300-9440. - STAMPA. - 103:(2017), pp. 60-68. [10.1016/j.porgcoat.2016.11.022]
Synthesis and characterization of scratch-resistant hybrid coatings based on non-hydrolytic sol-gel ZrO2 nanoparticles
VALENTE, Teodoro;
2017
Abstract
Hybrid transparent coatings based on zirconia nanoparticle fillers and epoxy resin were designed to increase scratch resistance of commodity polymers without impairing their optical properties. Suspensions of nano-crystalline ZrO2 in benzyl alcohol were synthesized via a versatile non-hydrolytic sol-gel process using ZrCl4 as precursor. The obtained ZrO2 nanoparticles showed a crystalline structure attributable to a tetragonal phase and an average particle size of 2 nm. ZrO2 nanoparticles, suspended in tert-butanol, were mixed with a commercial epoxy resin (5 and 10%wt.). The organic solvent was then evaporated and hybrid composites were deposited on polycarbonate and poly(methyl methacrylate). The obtained coatings showed a homogeneous adhesion and a negligible effect on the transparency of these polymers. An increased scratch-resistance was obtained by increasing the ZrO2 nanoparticles content. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
