Structure-property studies of polymer nanocomposite surfaces.

Abstract

The incorporation of nano-fillers in polymers has attracted a great deal of attention in the last 20 years. Though a great deal of research has been conducted on bulk properties of polymer nanocomposites, limited work has been carried out on their surface properties (e.g. abrasion resistance, wettability, physico-chemical properties). The aim of this research is to investigate the surface structure-property relationships of polymer nanocomposites. The polymer used in this project is polyamide 6 (PA6). PA6 is one of the most important engineering plastics and it was the first polymer used to prepare polymer nanocomposite. PA6 possesses excellent mechanical properties such as high tensile strength, stiffness, toughness, fatigue resistance and good welding behavior. Furthermore, PA6 is resistant to a wide range of chemicals and also has good heat resistance even under load. It also has superb wear behavior, electrical insulating property, easy processability, and so on. Thus, PA6 is widely used in many applications e.g. under-the-hood parts, gears, bearings, and as to metal replacements in the automotive industry.