Abstract
Materials made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the form of packages or catheters are currently commonly applied medical devices. Antimicrobial LDPE nanocomposite materials with two types of nanofillers, zinc oxide/vermiculite (ZnO/V) and zinc oxide/vermiculite_chlorhexidine (ZnO/V_CH), were prepared by a melt-compounded procedure to enrich their controllable antimicrobial, microstructural, topographical and tribo-mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the ZnO/V and ZnO/V_CH nanofillers and LDPE interacted well with each other. The influence of the nanofiller concentrations on the LDPE nanocomposite surface changes was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the surface topology and roughness were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effect of the ZnO/V nanofiller on the increase in indentation hardness (HIT) was evaluated by AFM measurements and the Vickers microhardness (HV), which showed that as the concentration of the ZnO/V nanofiller increased, these values decreased. The ZnO/V and ZnO/V_CH nanofillers, regardless of the concentration in the LDPE matrix, slightly increased the average values of the friction coefficient (COF). The abrasion depths of the wear indicated that the LDPE_ZnO/V nanocomposite plates exhibited better wear resistance than LDPE_ZnO/V_CH. Higher HV and HIT microhardness values were measured for both nanofillers than the natural LDPE nanocomposite plate. Very positive antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa after 72 h was found for both nanofiller types.
Highlights
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is an engineering thermoplastic polymer that plays an eminent role in various industrial branches, especially in the medical field and biomedical industry
Higher HV and HIT microhardness values were measured for both nanofillers than the natural LDPE nanocomposite plate
These results indicate that the LDPE_ZnO/V nanocomposite plates
Summary
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is an engineering thermoplastic polymer that plays an eminent role in various industrial branches, especially in the medical field and biomedical industry. Increasing requirements for materials for medical and biomedical applications have led to the development of new materials (such as nanocomposite materials) with specific surface properties. Emphasis is currently placed on the immediate and long-term antibacterial (or antimicrobial) nature of the (nano)materials; biocompatibility and bioactivity, including the cell and hemocompatibility of the Polymers 2020, 12, 2811; doi:10.3390/polym12122811 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers (nano)materials; a low surface energy; and a high hydrophobicity, leading to poor wettability and poor adhesion [2,3]. In the case of polymeric nanocomposite materials, the surface properties can be influenced by the chemical composition, wettability and/or changing surface topography of the LDPE nanocomposite material. The appropriate choice of nanofiller types and their homogeneous distribution in the LDPE matrix makes it possible to influence the structural, antibacterial, frictional and/or mechanical properties
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