Study on UV Resistance of Polyphenylene Sulfide Modified TiO2 by Phenylsiloxane

Polyphenylene sulflde (PPS) possesses the excellent heat resistance, flame resistance, chemical resistance and good mechanical properties. However, the poor UV-resistance properties of PPS are an important obstacle for PPS usage in some high-end areas. In this study, TiO2/phenyltriethoxysilane (PTES) nanoparticles were prepared from PTES and TiO2 by sol-gel method, and a series of characterizations were employed to investigate TiO2/PTES nanoparticles. Furthermore, TiO2/PTES/PPS composite films with different nanoparticle doping amounts were prepared. The effects of TiO2/PTES nanoparticles on PPS UV resistance were investigated, and it was found that the loading of PTES realized benzene functionalization on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles and that TiO2/PTES nanoparticle can effectively suppress the photocatalytic activity in comparison with TiO2. After 192 h of UV radiation, the physicochemical structure of TiO2/PTES/PPS composite film did not change, and even the color of composite film did not significantly deepen or turn yellow. When 2.0 wt% of TiO2/PTES nanoparticles were introduced into PPS matrix, the optimal ultraviolet resistant properties of composite films were achieved, and the stress strength retention rate and breaking elongation retention rate after UV irradiation 192 h were 93.75% and 94.00%, respectively. Herein, our UV-resistance method can pave the way toward the application of PPS in the field of extreme environment.