Abstract: In this work, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by liquid phase precipitation and then modified with a titanate coupling agent. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/ZnO nanocomposites were prepared by solvent mixing of surfacemodified ZnO nanoparticles with PMMA. The resulting nanocomposites were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of ZnO content on the surface hardness, optical performance, thermal properties and solvent resistance was investigated. The results indicated that the surface-modified ZnO nanoparticles were well dispersed in PMMA, and the surface hardness of the nanocomposites increased with increasing ZnO content at first and then tended to decrease. The addition of ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the heat resistance and thermal stability of the nanocomposites. The ultraviolet shielding performance and solvent resistance of the nanocomposites were improved remarkably with an increase of ZnO content, and however, their visible light transmittance did not seem to decrease significantly.

Key words: zinc oxide, poly(methyl methacrylate), composite, modification