Enhanced UV protection and water adsorption properties of transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) films through incorporation of amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles

• A simple solution casting approach was used to obtain transparent and flexible poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films incorporated with 1 – 4% by weight amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles. Optical transparency was retained in visible wavelengths, while transmittance in the UV-B region was reduced by 22% at 310 nm and 58% at 256 nm with the addition of 4 wt. % nanoparticles. Furthermore, the incorporation of the nanoparticles was shown to provide protection for the films under UV-C irradiation (254 nm wavelength, 5 mW cm−2), with the amount of UV degradation decreasing with increasing concentration of nanoparticles. Films with incorporated nanoparticles were also shown to be able to retain adsorbed moisture much better than neat PMMA films; whereas neat PMMA films did not retain moisture, approximately 50% of the adsorbed moisture was retained in films containing 4 wt. % nanoparticles. These enhanced properties of PMMA are of great interest in applications such as flexible and transparent screens for personal electronic devices that require protection from both UV light and moisture.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot nanoteknologi och funktionella material

Engineering Science with specialization in Nanotechnology and Functional Materials

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)