Polymers 2013, 5(4), 1380-1391; doi:10.3390/polym5041380
Polyamide 6/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposites with Modified Morphology and Thermal Properties
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
2
College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
3
School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
4
Department of Materials, University of Oxford, 16 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK
5
Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 45650, Pakistan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 6 October 2013 / Revised: 4 November 2013 / Accepted: 7 November 2013 / Published: 5 December 2013
Abstract
Pure polyamide 6 (PA6) and polyamide 6/carbon nanotube (PA6/CNT) composite samples with 0.5 weight percent loading of pristine or functionalized CNTs were made using a solution mixing technique. Modification of nanotube surface as a result of chemical functionalization was confirmed through the presence of lattice defects as examined under high-resolution transmission electron microscope and absorption bands characteristic of carboxylic, sulfonic and amine chemical groups. Microstructural examination of the cryogenically fractured surfaces revealed qualitative information regarding CNT dispersion within PA6 matrix and interfacial strength. X-ray diffraction studies indicated formation of thermodynamically more stable α-phase crystals. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that CNT incorporation delayed onset of thermal degradation by as much as 70 °C in case of amine-functionalized CNTs, thus increasing thermal stability of the composites. Furthermore, addition of amine-functionalized CNTs caused an increase in crystallization and melting temperatures from the respective values of 177 and 213 °C (for neat PA6) to 211 and 230 °C (for composite), respectively. View Full-Text
Figure 1
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Mahmood, N.; Islam, M.; Hameed, A.; Saeed, S. Polyamide 6/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposites with Modified Morphology and Thermal Properties. Polymers 2013, 5, 1380-1391.
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