Investigation on the structure and thermal properties of HDPE/Ta 2 O 5 -based nanocomposites

This work reports on the influence of tantalum oxide nanoparticles on the structure and thermal properties of HDPE + Ta₂O₅ based polymer nanocomposites prepared by ex-situ solution casting method. XRD analysis confirmed the orthorhombic structure of Ta₂O₅ nanoparticles and an increase in the degree of crystallinity of HDPE/Ta₂O₅ based nanocomposites after the introduction of Ta₂O₅ into the HDPE matrix. SEM analysis showed that Ta₂O₅ nanoparticles were distributed over the surface of the sample in a spherical shape. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of Ta –O-Ta stretching vibration bands at 557 cm⁻¹, 584 cm⁻¹, 599 cm⁻¹, 614 cm⁻¹ and Ta-O bands at 824 cm⁻¹, 828 cm⁻¹ for HDPE/3-7 wt%Ta₂O₅ nanocomposites. The results indicate that small amounts of Ta₂O₅ nanoparticles (3–7 wt.%) introduced into HDPE act as nucleating agents, which enhance the thermal properties of the HDPE/Ta₂O₅ nanocomposite. Additionally, the properties of the polymer nanocomposite are influenced by both the structural changes in the polymer matrix and the interactions at the nanoparticle-polymer interface.