Study of the properties of nanocomposites based on a mixture of high and low pressure polyethylene with cobalt-containing nanofillers

Composite materials based on a mixture of high- and low-pressure polyethylene, including additives of finely dispersed cobalt oxide, have been studied by X-ray phase (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An improvement in the strength, deformation parameters and thermal oxidative stability of the composite was revealed with the introduction of finely dispersed cobalt oxide, which, apparently, is due to the formation of interfacial bonds between cobalt-containing nanoparticles and components of the polymer composition. It has been shown that nanocomposites based on a mixture of high- and low-density polyethylenes, including additives of finely dispersed cobalt oxide, can be processed both by pressing and by injection molding and extrusion, which expands the scope of their applications. Small amounts of nanofiller introduced into the polymer play the role of structure formers — artificial crystallization nuclei, which contributes to the appearance of a fine spherulite structure in the polymer, characterized by enhanced physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting nanocomposite.