In situ polymerised polyamide 6/sepiolite nanocomposites: Effect of different interphases
Date
2014Author
Bilotti, E.Duquesne, E.
Deng, H.
Zhang, R.
Quero, F.
Georgiades, Savvas N.
Fischer, H. R.
Dubois, P.
Peijs, T.
Source
European Polymer JournalVolume
56Issue
1Pages
131-139Google Scholar check
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Show full item recordAbstract
The success of a polymer/clay nanocomposite depends from a number of factors including the intrinsic properties of the clay, nanofiller dispersion and orientation, matrix/filler interactions, etc. This manuscript focuses on the effect of matrix/filler interphases on the final physical properties of nanocomposite. Two PA6/sepiolite nanocomposites masterbatches are prepared via in situ polymerisation and then diluted via melt-compounding to different filler contents: one based on unreactive pristine sepiolite and another based on reactive amino-silane functionalised sepiolite. This offers a unique comparison opportunity, in which only the latter nanocomposite has PA6 molecules grafted directly from the sepiolite clay. Both nanocomposites are characterised in terms of morphology, thermal behaviour, semi-static tensile tests and dynamic mechanical tests. Interestingly, the grafted-from nanocomposites presented an enhanced strain at break and work of fracture, up to 100% in correspondence of 5 wt.% of filler, which is explained by the presence of a "soft" interphase. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.