Effect of adding (ZrO₂-ZnO) nanopowder on the polymer blend (lamination and methyl vinyl silicone) in a hybrid nanocomposite material

A polymeric blend combines two or more polymers to form a new material with different physical properties. In this work, a base material consisting of a polymeric mixture was manufactured to improve its properties and then strengthened with nanoparticles (ZrO2-ZnO) to develop a hybrid nanocomposite material, which has better properties than its constituent materials. Reinforcement material, i.e., (ZrO2-ZnO) nanoparticles, were prepared using relaxation method. A polymeric resin mixture (lamination and methyl vinyl silicone) was prepared by adding methyl vinyl silicone to the lamination resin in different ratios (4 %, 8 %, 12 %, and 16 %). The mixture properties were studied through tensile, bending, shock, and hardness tests, and the optimal results were achieved for the 12 % ratio. The resulting composite nanoparticles and their properties were studied using EDX, XRay, SEM, and PSA techniques. Finally, the nano-hybrid composite material was manufactured by choosing the optimal blend (i.e., 12 %). It had the highest polymeric base material properties, and nanoparticles were added at different dosages (3 %, 6 %, 9 %, and 12 %). The resulting hybrid composite material properties were studied through different tests (tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness). The results showed that the binary composite nanoparticles improved the properties of the mixture for both sizes (30 nm and 89 nm) at all mixing ratios, compared to the control specimens (i.e., without any addition). The optimal results were obtained when 30 nm particles were added and for all tests compared to samples reinforced with 89 nm particles. The optimal ratio of (ZrO2-ZnO) was 9 % wt 30 nm size, representing the best sample in terms of the resulting properties. It is recommended to use the sample with the 9 % addition of (ZrO2 - ZnO) wt with a granular size of (30 nm) in essential applications, including prosthetics (foot).