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Novel LDPE/EVA Nanocomposites with Silver/Titanium Dioxide Particles for Biomedical Applications



Author(s)

Gabriel Molina de Olyveira¹, Ligia Maria Manzine Costa¹, Antônio José Felix de Carvalho², Pierre Basmaji³ and Luiz Antonio Pessan¹

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DOI:10.17265/2161-6221/2011.09.016

1. Department of Materials Engineering-Polymers, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar,13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
2. Department of Materials Engineering, São Paulo University, 13566-590, São Carlos SP, Brazil
3. Innovatec’s-Biotechnology Research and Development, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil

Nanocomposites with antimicrobial activity are of great interest nowadays and the development of titanium dioxide with these functional properties presents interest in academic and industrial sectors. An approach to develop PE nanocomposite containing Ag nanoparticles to have an antimicrobial effect is presented. To obtain such antimicrobial nanocomposites, LDPE/EVA were processed with Ag nanoparticles on TiO₂ particles as inorganic carrier substance. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (P-25) were covered with silver nanoparticles using Turkevich Method or citrate reduction method. The Ag/TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed at concentration of 0.5 wt%, 0.8 wt% and 1 wt% in LDPE/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)-(50% w/w) at the melt state in a Haake torque Rheometer. Silver nanoparticles were characterized with UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The nanocomposites thus prepared were characterized through Ares Rheometer, Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and JIS Z 2801 antimicrobial tests to study the effects of the addition of nanoparticles on rheological properties, morphological behavior and antimicrobial properties. The results showed that incorporation of silver/titanium dioxide nanoparticles on nanocomposites obtained systems with different dispersions. The Ag/TiO₂ particles showed uniform distribution of Ag on TiO₂ particles as observed by SEM-EDX and antimicrobial tests according to JIS Z 2801 shows excellent antimicrobial properties.

Nanocomposite, citrate reduction method, antimicrobial.