Preparation and characterization of polymer blends reinforced with nano TiO₂

Abstract Two polymer blends were prepared using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyester (PE) with epoxy as the major component. These blends were reinforced with two different percentages of nano titanium oxide (TiO 2 ): 2% and 4%. The mechanical properties were studied, including tensile strength, compressive strength, impact strength, and wear resistance. Additionally, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the microscopic features of the resulting materials, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed for thermal analysis. The results indicated an enhancement in the mechanical properties, such that for the epoxy/PMMA blend, the tensile strength rose from 27.4 MPa for the pure (unreinforced) blend to 44.8 MPa for the same blend reinforced with 4% wt nano TiO 2 , while the pure epoxy/polyester blend showed an increase from 27.64 MPa to 38.6 MPa when reinforced with nano TiO 2 . Compressive strength also increased for both blends from 64.44 MPa and 48.76 MPa for the pure epoxy/PMMA and epoxy/PE blends, respectively, to 80.32 MPa and 63.77 MPa for the same blends reinforced with 4% nano TiO 2 . The wear rate improved when the nano TiO 2 was added in 4% wt from 0.0033 g m −1 and 0.0042 g m −1 for the unreinforced epoxy/PMMA and epoxy/PE, respectively, to 0.0022 g m −1 and 0.0028 g m −1 for the same blends. The SEM images revealed varied features with a granular surface appearance, while the DSC thermograms displayed two distinct ranges for the glass transition temperatures of both epoxy/PMMA and epoxy/PE blends. The blending of epoxy with PMMA and PE offers potential benefits for producing materials suitable for use as adhesives, coatings, automotive parts, or molded components. The combination of these polymers can yield properties that can be tailored to meet specific requirements, while the incorporation of nano TiO 2 can further enhance these characteristics, making them advantageous for a wide range of applications.