Qiuju Wu

Polymorphism in polyamide 66/clay nanocomposites

Polyamide 66/clay nanocomposites (PA66CN) were prepared via melt compounding method by using a new kind of organophilic clay, which was obtained through co-intercalation of epoxy resin and quaternary ammonium into Na-montmorillonite. The silicate layers were dispersed homogeneously and nearly exfoliated in polyamide 66 (PA66) matrix. The introduction of silicate layers induced the appearance of the γ phase in PA66CN at room temperature, more clay loadings would amplify this phenomenon; the addition of clay also changed the structure of the α crystalline phase. The presence of silicate layers increased the crystallization rate and had a strong hetero phase nucleation effect on PA66 matrix. The lower Brill transition temperature of PA66CN can be attributed to the strong interaction between polyamide chains and surfaces of silicate layers.

FT-IR spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding in PA6/clay nanocomposites

Abstract Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate PA6/clay nanocomposites (PA6CN) with various cooling histories from the melt, including rapid cooling (water-quenched), middle-rate cooling (air-cooling) and slow cooling (mold-cooling). In contrast to pure PA6 dominated by the α-phase, the addition of clay silicate layers favor the formation of the γ-crystalline phase in PA6CN. We focus on the reason why silicate layers favor the formation of γ-phase in PA6. Vaia et al. suggested that the addition of clay layers forces the amide groups of PA6 out of the plane formed by the chains. This results in conformational changes of the chains, which limits the formation of H-bonded sheets so that the γ-phase is favored. If this assumption is correct, PA6CN is expected to show some differences as compared with PA6 with respect to hydrogen bonding. The silicate layers were indeed found to weaken the hydrogen bonding both in the α- and γ-phases. This was also confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The γ-phase is most likely concentrated in regions close to the silicate layers, whereas the α-phase is favored in the bulk matrix.

Polyamide 66/Clay Nanocomposites via Melt Intercalation

Polyamide 66/clay nanocomposites (PA66CN) were prepared via a melt compounding method using a new kind of organophilic clay, which was obtained through co-intercalation of epoxy resin and quaternary ammonium into Na-montmorillonite. The dispersion effect of silicate layers in the matrix was studied by means of XRD and TEM. The silicate layers were dispersed homogeneously and nearly exfoliated in the matrix as a result of the strong interaction between epoxy groups and PA66. The mechanical properties and heat distortion temperature (HDT) of PA66CN increased dramatically. The notched Izod impact strength of PA66CN was 50% higher than that of PA66 when the clay loading was 5 wt.-%. Even at 10 wt.-% clay content, the impact strength was still higher than that of PA66. The finely dispersed silicate layers and the strong interaction between silicate layers and the matrix reduced the water absorption, at 10 wt.-% clay content; PA66CN only absorbs 60% water compared with PA66. The addition of silicate layers changed the crystal structure in PA66CN.

Polyamide 6-clay nanocomposites/polypropylene-grafted-maleic anhydride alloys

Polyamide 6-clay nanocomposites (PA6CN) based on montmorillonite typically show some brittleness with clay addition. In order to address this problem, PA6CN/PP-g-MAH alloys were prepared through blending PA6CN with polypropylene-grafted-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MAH). The mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical temperature spectra, morphology and water absorption of the alloys were studied. Compared with PA6CN, the notched impact strength of the alloys increased greatly while the alloys still maintained higher stiffness and strength than that of PA 6. The morphological studies via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a PP-g-MAH toughen phase dispersed in PA6CN matrix. As the PP-g-MAH content was increased, reduced water absorption was observed.

Investigation on unusual crystallization behavior in polyamide 6/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The crystallization behavior and crystal structure of polyamide 6/montmorillonite (PA6/MMT) nanocomposites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction, and an inter ...

An unusual crystallization behavior in polyamide 6/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The crystallization behavior and structure of polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposites containing 3 wt.-% montmorillonite (MMT) were investigated for different cooling conditions using differential scannin ...