Fabrication and Properties of Nylon-6/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites by Melt Blending

Polymer/clay nanocomposites currently attract immense interest from both research and industrial communities. By dispersing at the molecular level a tiny amount of clay within a polymeric matrix, a wide range of properties can be significantly improved. The efficiency of the clay (layered silicate) in improving the properties of the polymer materials is primarily determined by the degree of its dispersion in the polymer matrix. To promote the molecular and stable dispersion of the clay layers, the clays should be organically-modified with onium salts. In this work, nylon-6 nanocomposites based on two types of commercial organoclays were prepared by melt blending via single-screw extrusion. The good dispersion of clay in the nylon-6 nanocomposites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The influence of the dispersed nano-clay fillers on the thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis and nanoindentation.