Antimicrobial High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)/ZnO Nanocomposites Obtained by in situ Polymerization

Nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) prepared by combustion in solution was used to obtain nanocomposites. The ZnO particles were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (X RD). and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing crystallite size of 32 nm and a superficial area of 32.6 m(2) g(-1). Nanocomposites with 1, 3, and 5 wt.% of ZnO in the polymeric matrix were obtained using the in situ polymerization of ethylene with catalytic activities between 1500-1700 kg (mol(Zr)h P-E)(-1). The high-density polyethylene nanocomposites (PEZnO) were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), SEM. and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanocomposites with 1 wt.% ZnO gave excellent mechanical properties. and all were active against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria.