Boosting the UV radiation resistance of unsaturated polyester resin based on commercial graphene oxide powder for artificial stone applications

Abstract Demand for improving the properties of unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs), especially their UV resistance, has been steadily increasing. Enhancing these properties is essential for expanding the resin's applicability in outdoor environments. Recently, studies have focused on improving the properties of UPRs with functional inorganic nanomaterials and have achieved remarkable results. In this work, we have synthesized polymer nanocomposites materials (PNCs) based on UPR resin and commercial graphene oxide powders (c‐GO) with different ratios through the in situ polymerization method. The properties of PNCs were largely enhanced with the addition of 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of GO. The PNCs had significantly improved UV resistance, as demonstrated by UV–vis absorption spectrum analysis and UV irradiation tests on a UV tester according to ASTM G154‐06:2006 for 0–1000 h. The obtained results indicate that the reinforcement with a 0.3% weight content of c‐GO has improved the properties of PNC materials compared to conventional UPR. In particular, the UV radiation resistance of UPR/c‐GO 0.3 wt% material has sharply increased to 98.8% compared to pure UPR. Artificial stone products using UPR/c‐GO 0.3 wt% had UV radiation resistance up to 78.9% compared to products using only UPR resin, expanding its application potential for outdoor industrial products.