Influence of Nano Zinc Oxide Reinforcement on the Diffusion Coefficient of Unsaturated Polyester and Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Composites

Abstract

This research investigates the influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle reinforcement on the diffusion coefficient of epoxy/nitrile butadiene rubber (EP/NBR) composites. The study evaluates various ZnO concentrations (1%, 2%, and 3% by weight) incorporated into the EP/NBR matrix. The dispersion of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONP) was analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, revealing improved particle dispersion with increased ZnO content, contributing to better structural stability. Diffusion coefficient measurements in water, nitric acid, and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions indicated that higher ZnO concentrations reduce the diffusion coefficient for water absorption, enhancing moisture resistance. However, a slight increase in diffusion coefficients was observed in NaOH solutions, demonstrating the modified composite’s variable interaction with different environmental conditions. The findings emphasize the role of ZnONPs in enhancing the mechanical and physical properties of EP/NBR composites, particularly in improving their resistance to moisture and alkaline environments, thereby broadening their potential applications in moisture-sensitive and chemically aggressive environments.

Received: 11 August 2025 | Revised: 22 September 2025 | Accepted: 13 October 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Author Contribution Statement

Rafah Alwan Nassif: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration. Raghad Hamid Hilal: Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Project administration.