Ultraviolet Resistance and Antimicrobial Properties of ZnO in the Polypropylene Materials: A Review

ZnO is a multifunctional material with UV-blocking, antimicrobial, photo-catalytic activity and self-cleaning properties. The application of ZnO has become an interesting subject both in science and industries in the polymer materials. A great number of investigation indicated that introduction of ZnO can improve ultraviolet resistance and endow antimicrobial properties of polypropylene (PP) materials to broaden the application range and prolong the usage life of polypropylene materials. This mini-review contains examples of recent research advances on ultraviolet resistance and antimicrobial properties of ZnO in the filled polypropylene materials. It is found that ultraviolet resistance and antimicrobial properties of ZnO supported on the surface of other inorganic particles are higher than those of nano- and micro-ZnO particles, which may inspire further developments of filled PP and its copolymer materials with high ultraviolet resistance and antimicrobial properties.