Thermal degradation properties of nylon-6/ clay nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymers are widely applied as substitutes for metal, wood, stone, glass, paper and a variety of macromolecular substances. Composites offer improved properties, including higher strength and stiffness, compared to polymers. Recently, the development of polymer composites on nanometer scale has been carried out. Compared to the conventional polymers, polymer nanocomposites possess superior properties. Nylon-6 is an important engineering polymer material with low cost and high performance. It is mostly used in fibers, films and engineering thermoplastic material, where the properties of thermal stability and fire resistance are of paramount importance. To enhance the properties of thermal stability and fire resistance of nylon-6, the nylon-6/ clay nanocomposites have been widely studied in academic, government and industrial laboratories. The purpose of this work is to study the thermal degradation behavior and kinetics of nylon-6 / clay nancomposites under various conditions. The effects of the clay filler and heating rate on the thermal degradation of nylon-6 were studied and compared.