UV-protective properties of poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites containing chemical treated halloysite nanotube

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chemical treated halloysite nanotube (HNT) on the optical and UV-protective properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites. Two strategies were used to modify the HNT, i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surface modification and zinc oxide (ZnO) immobilization on HNT. The Si-O index measurement via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis proved that chemical interaction occurred between HNT and SDS. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) evidenced that the ZnO nanoparticles were successfully immobilized on the HNT surface. PLA/treated HNT nanocomposites were prepared using melt compounding followed by compression molding. The PLA/HNT nanocomposites were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The visible-shielding ratio (VR) and UV-blocking ratio (UVR) of the PLA/HNT nanocomposite films were determined. Both PLA/SDS-treated HNT and PLA/ZnO treated HNT nanocomposites exhibited higher UV-blocking property compared to that of PLA/untreated HNT nanocomposites.