Study of the photochemical behaver of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite modified by sulfadiazine

The increasing demand for high performance, environmentally sustainable products especially polymeric materials employed in outdoor industrial applications led to the search for new methods of stabilizing polymers against UV light and extreme weather conditions. The use of additives for enhancing photo-stability of polymers and overall long term performance and sustainability had proven to be a successful approach. In this study, Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) a synthetic polymer widely utilized in industrial applications was functionalized via two step aminolysis reaction then the modified PMMA films were blended with nanoparticles (Copper, Cobalt, Chromium and Titanium oxide), the effects of surface functionalization and the addition of nanoparticles were systematically investigated by many characterization techniques. The results of this study showed an enhancement that can be described as remarkable in photo-stability of weight loss from 3% of neat polymer to less than 1% for modified PMMA. As well as the thermal properties of functionalized PMMA films blended with nanoparticles compared with neat PMMA, the blended films were compared to a commercial photostabilizer, Tinuvin 622, to determine their efficiency, with copper oxide being the most efficient photo-stabilizer followed by cobalt oxide, chromium oxide and titanium oxide respectively. Significantly, the modified, Blended PMMA films can be used as a durable, sustainable alternative for neat PMMA due to their simple surface modification, mechanical and thermal stability and eco-friendly features.