A study on the synergistic regulation of polyethylene via hybrid reinforcement with nanofillers and wire meshes for hydrogen transport

Hydrogen storage and transportation remain major bottlenecks in the development of the hydrogen energy industry. Polyethylene-based composites are considered promising alternatives owing to their excellent processability, corrosion resistance, and lightweight characteristics. However, how to maintain the excellent processing properties of polyethylene while achieving a synergistic improvement in its physical, mechanical and application properties remains a key scientific issue that hinders its engineering application. In this study, Mg(OH) 2 , ZnB, and CB nanofillers were coated onto polyethylene particles through a slurry-coating process and by combining the steel wire mesh reinforcement strategy, a layered structure PEc/Fe/PEc composite material was prepared to achieve the synergistic optimization of mechanical, electrical, flame-retardant, and hydrogen-barrier properties. The results showed that the prepared PEc/Fe/PEc composite exhibited a tensile strength of 36.31 MPa and a volume resistivity of 2.96 × 10 9 Ω·cm. Meanwhile, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) were reduced to 500.61 kW·m -2 and 96.4 MJ·m -2 , respectively. In addition, the composite demonstrated significantly improved hydrogen-barrier performance and electrical breakdown resistance. The enhanced performance was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the dense barrier network constructed by nanofillers and the reinforced sandwich structure formed by the iron wire mesh, which promoted structural stability and multifunctional characteristics.