Influence of Silicate Surface Modification on Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Nylon6/Clay Nanocomposites

摘要

A new method was attempted to improve the interaction between nylon 6 with a commercially available organoclay, Cloisite~®25A (C25A) through modification of C25A with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, 3-(glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane and 3-isocyanate propyltriethoxy silane. C25A and C25A modified with the silane compounds(TFC) were melt mixed with nylon 6. X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy images revealed that all the TFC layers were fully exfoliated in nylon 6 matrix irrespectively of the type of the silane compounds used for the modification. Tensile properties of nylon 6 were most significantly improved when 3-(glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane modified C25A was incorporated. The chemical reaction between the epoxy groups and the end groups of nylon 6 raised the interfacial interaction and thus was responsible for the enhanced tensile properties.