Effect of graphene nanosheets on the mechanical, electrical, and rheological properties of polyamide 6/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends

Polyamide 6 (PA6) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blend reinforced by graphene nanosheets (GNs) nanocomposites were prepared by batch system followed by hot compression to get samples for different tests. A low amounts of graphene were used (1, 2, 3, 4 wt%), with this selected loading range, the mechanical properties (Young's modulus) have increased linearly with GNs contents. However, it is observed stability in the tensile strength. The electrical and rheological properties are well characterized and have shown that the evolution of the properties runs through a threshold loading charge. The results are related to the blends morphology, and SEM images showed selective preferential localization in the polyamide 6 phase. Moreover, the presence of GNs in the blends has reduced the surface tension between the two polymers. POLYM. COMPOS. 37:998–1006, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers