Thermal and Dielectric Properties of High Performance Polymer/ZnO Nanocomposites

Zinc oxide (ZnO) filled high performance poly(aryletherketon) (PAEK) matrix nanocomposites were studied for the application in electronic applications. The nanocomposites were prepared using planetary ball milling process followed by hot pressing. Experimental density of the nanocomposites was close to those of theoretical density indicating porosity free samples. Scanning electron microscopy showed excellent dispersion of nano sized (< 100 nm) ZnO particles into the PAEK matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the size of ZnO crystallites is about 58 nm. Thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA) showed significant increase in thermal stability and char yield of the nanocomposites with increasing ZnO content in the matrix. The dielectric constants of the nanocomposites increased significantly compared to those of pure PAEK.