Studies on nylon 6/clay nanocomposites by melt-intercalation process

Abstract

The preparation of nylon 6/clay nanocomposites by a melt-intercalation process is proposed. X-ray diffraction and DSC results show that the crystal structure and crystallization behaviors of the nanocomposites are different from those of nylon 6. Mechanical and thermal testing shows that the properties of the nanocomposites are superior to nylon 6 in terms of the heat-distortion temperature, strength, and modulus without sacrificing their impact strength. This is due to the nanoscale effects and the strong interaction between the nylon 6 matrix and the clay interface, as revealed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Molau testing. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1133–1138, 1999