Study of Mechanical and Crystalline Behavior of Polyamide 6/Hytrel/Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) based Polymer Composites

It was planned to develop polymer matrix composite through PA6/Hytrel blends and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by melt-mixing technique with improved mechanical properties which can be utilized for several potential applications. The specific objective of this work is to design a generic strategy to maintain a perfect balance between uniform dispersion and strong interfacial adhesion of MWNT in the presence of polymer matrix. The biggest challenge is the effective dispersion of individual nanotubes in the matrices, as CNT tends to form clusters and bundles. To overcome this problem, chemical modification of CNT surfaces has been performed by utilizing a modifier: sodium salt of 6-amino hexanoic acid (Na-AHA). The state of dispersion of MWNT in the blends was assessed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), tensile testing and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA).