Mechanical properties of poly(ethylene succinate) thin films incorporated with chemical synthesis copper oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) thin films and their composites with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. CuO nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical synthesis method, achieving an average size of 20 nm. PES/CuO composites were prepared by incorporating CuO at various concentrations of 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt%. The thin films were produced through solution polymerization followed by casting. Mechanical testing revealed that the tensile strength of pure PES was 25 MPa, while incorporating 1 wt% CuO increased the tensile strength to 30 MPa. At 3 wt%, the tensile strength reached 35 MPa, and at 5 wt%, it peaked at 40 MPa, demonstrating a significant enhancement in mechanical properties. The elongation at break also improved, increasing from 200% for pure PES to 250% for the 5 wt% CuO composite. Characterization of the materials was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze structural and morphological properties. The results confirm that the PES/CuO composites exhibit enhanced mechanical properties, indicating their potential for diverse applications in sustainable materials and biomedical fields.