Effects of nano ZnO on strength and stability of unsaturated polyester composites

ZnO–glass fiber–unsaturated polyester composites have been prepared. On exposure to the metal halide lamp, their resistance to ultraviolet (UV) degradation is evaluated. Experimental results show that ZnO can reduce the UV degradation of the unsaturated polyester matrix. ZnO can significantly retard the UV degradation process of the matrix resin, and can also increase the impact strength of the composites under the experimental conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses also indicate that the addition of ZnO to unsaturated polyester may retard the crosslink process and catalyze the decomposition of the resin. However, after more than 40 hr of UV irradiation, it was crosslinked. SEM fracture morphology shows that nano ZnO could hinder crack growth and induce more cracks, and when the content of ZnO reaches 6 wt%, the impact fracture mechanism changes abruptly and plastic deformation appears, which indicates that 6 wt% for ZnO in unsaturated polyester could be considered as the critical content. Around the critical content, the particles are near enough to interact with each other and this results in the change of fracture mechanism. The results also indicate that the proper content of ZnO added into an unsaturated polyester could prolong the durability and lessen the reject rate of transparent glass fiber–polyester composites. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.