Synthesis and Characterization of polyethylene/Metal Organic Framework Nanocomposites: enhanced thermal stability and crystallinity through UiO-66 Nanofiller incorporation

This study focused on the synthesis and characterization of polyethylene/metal organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites. UiO-66, a metal organic framework nanoparticle, was synthesized using a hydrothermal method and incorporated as a drop-in filler during in-situ polymerization of ethylene with a Zirconocene/modified methyl aluminoxane (MMAO) catalytic system. The use of in-situ polymerization allowed for excellent dispersion of the fillers within the polyethylene matrix. The impact of UiO-66 nanomaterials on the thermal, crystalline, and morphological properties of the resulting polyethylene nanocomposites was investigated, alongside their effect on catalytic activity. The MOF-filled polyethylene nanocomposites exhibited enhanced thermal stability with a temperature value of 460.1°C at 10% weight loss (T_0.9) and crystallinity (90.8%) compared to neat polyethylene with T_0.9 of 447°C and crystallinity of 82.5% respectively while maintaining the rest of the properties of the composites. These findings highlight the potential of MOF (UiO-66) based nanofillers in improving the overall performance of polyethylene-based nanocomposites.