Morphology and Properties of Polyamide 6 and Polyamide 6-Clay Nanocomposites Submitted to Multiple Processing Cycles

摘要

In this study, polyamide 6 (PA6) and its nanocomposite were reprocessed by conventional polymer processing techniques to evaluate the feasibility and processability of these materials. The changes in the structure, morphology, tensile properties and color were investigated after each processing cycle. Melt flow index (MFI) results indicated that a reduction in the molecular weight was the predominant reaction in the conditions of this study, but the chemical structure of the neat PA6 and its nanocomposite remained unchanged in the FTIR spectra. Morphology and tensile properties results showed that multiple processing cycles can gradually improve the delamination and dispersion of the organoclay, and further give rise to higher levels of matrix reinforcement. Besides, it is observed that both the neat PA6 and nanocomposites became progressively yellow after each cycle due to thermo-oxidative degradation.