Effects of dopamine-modified ZnO and Ce-Zr oxides on UV resistance and thermal stability of epoxy composites

In this work, surface-modified Ce-Zr oxides and ZnO nanoparticles were conveniently prepared by dopamine (Dpa) treatment and then composited with epoxy (EP) by hot pressing. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV-shielding properties of the EP composites with surface modification with Dpa-CZ and Dpa-ZnO were measured. The TGA results showed that the modified treated fillers had no loss of heat resistance of the matrix and had an enhancement effect on the initial and maximum decomposition temperatures. In addition, the UV-shielding properties of EP composites after Dpa-CZ and Dpa-ZnO modifications both showed a significant enhancement effect compared to pure EP. The T(UVA) of the 0.5 wt% Dpa-ZnO modified composite decreased to less than 0.017%, and the T(UVB) decreased to less than 0.0059%. The T(UVA) of the 0.5 wt% Dpa-CZ modified composite decreased to less than 15.98%, and the T(UVB) decreased to below 1.14%. The composites have both excellent thermal stability and UV-shielding efficiency.