Preparation of Cerium Oxide/Nylon 6 Nanocomposite and Its <scp>UV</scp> Shielding Performance

ABSTRACT The demand for UV‐shielded fiber materials is increasing with the continuous improvement of health requirements. However, there are still significant challenges to achieving a balance between the high mechanical performance and functionality of these materials. Herein, highly dispersed nanoscale cerium oxide (HD‐nCeO 2 ) with excellent UV shielding performance was prepared through the synergy of isolation dispersion by nano‐silica and steric stabilization by a hyperdispersant. In comparison with the unmodified nanoscale CeO 2 (UM‐nCeO 2 ), the resulting HD‐nCeO 2 /Nylon 6 (PA6) nanocomposite demonstrates not only superior UV shielding but also better mechanical properties than those of the UM‐nCeO 2 /PA6 nanocomposite. The PA6 nanocomposite filled with 0.5 wt% HD‐nCeO 2 exhibits UV shielding rates of 99.2% and 96.0% for UVA and UVB, respectively. The primary mechanism is revealed to be the good dispersion of HD‐nCeO 2 nanoparticles in the polymer matrix and the good interfacial bonding forces between HD‐nCeO 2 and PA6.