Functional behaviour of polyethylene-ZnO nanocomposites

Hybrid inorganic-organic nanocomposite materials are of current interest because of their multifunctionality, ease of processability, and potential for large-scale manufacturing. The focus of this study is to ascertain the functional properties of the commodity plastic impregnated with ZnO/starch nanocomposites. ZnO/starch nanocomposites was prepared by a simple process using zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide as precursor and soluble starch as stabilizing agent. The peak obtained in terms of wavelength from UV-visible spectrum is converted in terms of particle size using effective mass approximation method. The plastic sheet of 50 microm thickness was prepared by hot blow method using 1:1 ratio of HDPE:LLDPE and 1% concentration of ZnO/starch nanocomposites. The morphological analysis was carried out using both optical and scanning electron microscopy. For antibacterial activity, evaluation was carried out with Staphylococcus aureus (AATCC 6538), a Gram-positive bacterium and Klebsiella pneumoniae (AATCC 4352), a Gram-negative bacterium. Excellent UV blocking ability was noticed in nanocomposites when compared to the control.