Wear- and UV-resistant polycarbonate-based composite films reinforced by a novel inorganic–organic hybrid filler

As one of the five major engineering plastics, polycarbonate (PC) has been applied in many industrial fields. However, its poor wear- and UV- resistance greatly limit its further promotion. Inspired by the dual benefits of inorganic–organic hybrid filler, in this study, we developed a novel type of catechol group- and nano silica-containing reinforcing filler (CFNS) for the preparation of wear- and UV-resistant PC-based composite films. With a low level of filler content (1%), the coefficient of friction (COF) was distinctly reduced from 0.14 (neat PC film) to 0.06 (composite film), benefiting from a wear-resistant surface layer. On the basis of ensuring high and stable transmittance for visible light, the composite films also exhibit strengthened capacity of UV shielding for the waveband from 293 to 400 nm. In addition, the general performance of composite films including tensile strength, tensile modulus, and thermal stability have also been improved in different degrees. Therefore, the composite films reinforced by CFNS are highly promising for a wide range of applications, ascribed to their improved general properties as well as two additional functions of wear- and UV-resistance.