Processing and Characterization of Polymer-Based Far-Infrared Composite Materials

Abstract

Polymer-based far-infrared radiation (FIR) composite materials are receiving increasing attention due to their significant influence on bioactivity. This study reports the processing of FIR composite films based on a polymer matrix and FIR radiation ceramic powders, as well as the characterization of the FIR composites. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser particle size analysis were employed to analyze the characteristic of the ceramic powders. The average size, dispersity, and specific surface area of the ceramic powders were 2602 nm, 0.97961, and 0.76 m2/g, respectively. The results show that the FIR ceramic powders used in the composite films had excellent far-infrared emissive performance. Moreover, by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG), it was indicated that the thermal performance and mechanical properties of the composite films were significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by the addition of the FIR ceramic powders. Specifically, the elongation at break decreased from 333 mm to 201 mm with the increase in FIR ceramic powders. Meanwhile, the contact angle and light transmittance were also changed by the addition of the FIR ceramic powders. Furthermore, the two different processing methods had great influence on the properties of the composite films. Moreover, the composite blown films with 1.5% FIR ceramic powders showed the highest far-infrared emissivity, which was 0.924.