Comparative Study of Green and Chemically Synthesized ZnO Nanoparticles Reinforced Waste Polyethylene Nanocomposites

Abstract

The mechanical properties of Reinforced waste polyethylene nanocomposites were study. In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles synthesized via chemical (CS) and green routes (GS) using garlic bark extract were incorporated into waste polyethylene to fabricate polyethylene/ZnO nanocomposites. The influence of nanoparticle synthesis route and filler loading on mechanical properties - including hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at break - were systematically investigated. The nanocomposites were prepared via in-situ polymerization and ZnO particles were characterized using mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR. Results revealed that chemically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles enhanced hardness and stiffness due to their higher crystallinity, while green-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles exhibited superior flexural performance owing to improved dispersion and interfacial interaction. Tensile strength and elongation at break generally decreases with increasing ZnO loading due to nanoparticle agglomeration at higher concentrations.The average crystalline size obtained 115.10 nm GS and 195.88 nm CS ZnO nanoparticle and Zn-O prominent absorption was observed between 673.18 to 437.18 cm⁻¹ GS ZnO and 678.73 to 472.77 cm⁻¹CS ZnO .The findings demonstrate that green synthesis provides a sustainable alternative for producing effective ZnO-reinforced polyethylene nanocomposites from plastic waste.