Effect of Quasi‐nanometer zirconium carbide on the physical characterization of zirconium carbide/polyurethane composite films irradiated under ultraviolet light

Abstract

We used quasi-nanometer zirconium carbide (ZrC) and a polyurethane (PU) resin under roller pressure to form a composite film and found that the tensile strength at break, elongation at break, and modulus gradually decreased with increasing ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation time for films of both PU and the PU/ZrC composite. However, this phenomenon was significantly higher for the PU film than for the ZrC/PU composite film. The construction of the PU film changed after UV irradiation, but that of the PU/ ZrC composite film was almost unchanged. The degradation of PU molecules occurred in the absence of ZrC particles after irradiation with UV light but almost did not occur in the presence of ZrC particles. This was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography analyses. It was suggested that polymer radicals which formed through the photooxidation of UV irradiation and free radicals which formed through the photoreduction of nanometer ZrC/UV irradiation interacted to form a dead polymer to stop the degradation; simultaneously, the chemical bonding between polymer molecules could be re-formed from free radicals created by photooxidation and photoreduction and thus reduce the mobility of PU molecules, thereby raising the glass-transition and melting temperatures of the soft segment.

Polyester/polyvinyl butyral/zirconium carbide multifunctional composite yarn with high photothermal conversion capacity

“…However, all the UPF values of the fabrics made of PET/PVB/ZrC composite yarns are 50+, and transmittance of UVA and UVB is less than 3%, which has reached the excellent protection UPF rating (50+) according to Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4399:1996. The excellent UV radiation protection is due to that zirconium carbide particles have a high refractive index, which can increase the reflection and scattering of UV light on the surface of polyester yarn 26 …”

“…The excellent UV radiation protection is due to that zirconium carbide particles have a high refractive index, which can increase the reflection and scattering of UV light on the surface of polyester yarn. 26…”