Preparation and characterization of zinc oxide and nanoclay reinforced crosslinked starch/jute green nanocomposites

In the present work, ZnO nanoparticles (ZNP) and ZNP in combination with nanoclays are reported as reinforcing agents for the preparation of 'Green' nanocomposites based on glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked starch/jute fabric. A solution-induced intercalation method has been used for the successful fabrication of the nanocomposites. Both ZNP and nanoclay are successfully incorporated into the composite as revealed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical tests, respectively. The study reveals significant changes in the observed properties of the synthesized composites with the amount of nanofillers. Interestingly, the flame retarding properties, UV-resistance, and dimensional stability of the nanoparticle filled composites are found to be much better than those of the unfilled one. The study reveals a strong interfacial interaction between the filler and the matrix within the synthesized green nanocomposites.