Enhanced Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene based Composite using Zinc Oxide Nanorods Filler

Polypropylene and zinc oxide nanorods composites were prepared by combination of solution and mixture melting methods. Dielectric properties of the composite thin films were studied to see if zinc oxide nanorods have effect on the dielectric properties of polypropylene thin film. Introduction of zinc oxide nanorods at low filler content in the polypropylene matrix significantly improves the dielectric constant of the matrix. Simultaneously the structure of the composites was characterized by UV, XRD and SEM to understand the features in the structure that determine the functionality of the material. Composites with different weight percentage of zinc oxide nanorods show better absorption in the UV region compared to polypropylene matrix. This is due to the inherent capability of nano zinc oxide to absorb in the UV region. X-ray diffraction pattern of nanocomposites show sharp and highly intense peaks whereas neat polypropylene shows less intense peaks. This may due to the development of crystallinity in the polymer. Uniform distribution of zinc oxide which have a width of around 160-200 nm is observed in the SEM photographs of composites.