Enhancing the ultraviolet radiation resistance of unsaturated polyester resin based on nano TiO2: Application in the production of artificial quartz stone

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposite material (PNC) based on the unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and nano TiO₂ (PNC UPR/TiO₂ material) is synthesised by the in-situ method, which allows the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles into the polymer chain right from the beginning of the synthesis process, enhancing nanoparticle dispersion and enabling bond formation during polymer chain synthesis. The surface morphology, structure and properties of the PNC UPR/TiO₂ material were investigated. The results show that the successfully synthesised PNC UPR/TiO₂ material enhances bending strength by 16.4% and tensile strength by 7.2%. The obtained PNC UPR/TiO₂ material has enhanced thermal stability, especially with the UPR/TiO₂ 0.50% sample, which shows an increase in T₁₀, T₅₀ and T_g values of 11.4%; the storage modulus (E’) increased by 57.3% compared to the UPR resin sample. The newly obtained material demonstrates 62.3% higher UV radiation resistance than the UPR resin system after 1,000 hours
of UV irradiation. Applying PNC UPR/TiO₂ 0.50% material as a base resin in manufacturing high-quality quartz based artificial stone products helps improve UV resistance by 20% and retains surface colour for products that are less susceptible to deformation compared to when using UPR adhesive.