Herein, we investigated the influence of two types of nanoparticle fillers, i.e., amorphous SiO2 and crystalline ZrO2, on the structural properties of their nanocomposites with high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The composite films were prepared by melt-blending with a filler content that varied from 1% to 20% v/v. The composites were characterized by small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For both fillers, the nanoaggregates were evenly distributed in the polymer matrix and their initial state in the powders determined their surface roughness and fractal character. In the case of the nano-ZrO2 filler, the lamellar thickness and crystallinity degree remain unchanged over a broad range of filler concentrations. SANS and SEM investigation showed poor interfacial adhesion and the presence of voids in the interfacial region. Temperature-programmed SANS investigations showed that at elevated temperatures, these voids become filled due to the flipping motions of polymer chains. The effect was accompanied by a partial aggregation of the filler. For nano-SiO2 filler, the lamellar thickness and the degree of crystallinity increased with increasing the filler loading. SAXS measurements show that the ordering of the lamellae is disrupted even at a filler content of only a few percent. SEM images confirmed good interfacial adhesion and integrity of the SiO2/HDPE composite. This markedly different impact of both fillers on the composite structure is discussed in terms of nanoparticle surface properties and their affinity to the HDPE matrix.

ANAS Institute of Radiation Problems Baku AZ1143 Azerbaijan

Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering Named after O O Galkin NAS of Ukraine 03028 Kiev Ukraine

Faculty of Chemistry Nicolaus Copernicus University 87 100 Torun Poland

Faculty of Civil Engineering Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction Baku AZ1073 Azerbaijan

Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering P O Box MG 6 RO 077125 Bucharest Magurele Romania

Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants NAS of Ukraine 07270 Kiev Ukraine

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Czech Academy of Sciences CZ 162 06 Praha Czech Republic

Institute of Natural Science Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University Kyzylorda 120001 Kazakhstan

Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology 03 195 Warsaw Poland

Joint Institute for Nuclear Research 141980 Dubna Russia

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology 141701 Dolgoprudny Russia

The Institute of Nuclear Physics Ministry of Energy Almaty 050032 Kazakhstan

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