Manufacturing technique and mechanical properties of plastic nanocomposite

This research first produced the 20A140 nano-composite by melt-blending polyamide 6 (PA6) and one type of montmorillonite-(Cloisite 20A) one to six times, after which the nano-composites were evaluated by mechanical properties. The results showed that the exfoliated nano-composite displayed the best tensile modulus of 4.1 GPa; however, both its elongation at break and its notch Izod impact strength were inferior to those of the intercalated nano-composite. When melt-blended for six times, the exfoliated nano-composite displayed a tensile modulus of 3.9 GPa and a yield stress of 80 MPa. The intercalated nano-composite's tensile modulus and yield stress were both on the increase when silicate layers were more dispersed. Finally, for the conventional nano-composites, the tensile modulus and yield stress rose slightly with an increase in melt-blending cycles; however, the elongation at break and notch Izod impact strength were not influenced by the number of melt-blending cycles.