Investigations of polyamide nano-composites containing bentonite and organo-modified clays: Mechanical, thermal, structural and processing performances

Polyamide 6 (PA) matrix was reinforced with Na-activated bentonite, amino functional silane treated bentonite and organo-modified clays at different concentrations. The preparation of composites was carried out using melt-blending method and the test samples were prepared by injection-molding process. Mechanical, thermal, structural and processing investigations of PA based composites were reported performing via tensile, hardness, and impact tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and force measurements, respectively. According to mechanical test results, additions of fillers to PA matrix caused slight improvements for tensile strength and modulus parameters. Silane treated BNT exhibited improvement in mechanical results compared to Na-activated bentonite additions. Thermal studies revealed that decomposition and melting temperatures of PA shifted to higher values after inclusion of clay into polymer matrix. Results confirmed that organo-clay and bentonite additions with their lower filling ratios yielded enhancements for the mechanical and thermal performance of polyamide.