ANIONIC NYLON 6/ZINC COMPOSITE MATERIALS: EVALUATION OF THERMAL AND MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR

This study deals with the experimentally investigated effect of zinc (Zn) particles on the thermal and mechanical properties of nylon 6/zinc composite materials. Nylon 6 and nylon 6 containing 6.0, 8.0, 12.0, 15.0, 20.0, and 25.0 wt.% of unmodified zinc particles, metal-polymer composite materials, were prepared by in situ anionic polymerization of epsilon-caprolactam (CL) in the presence of metallic fillers using rotational molding technique. The characteristics, namely melting temperature, degree of crystallinity (first and second heating scan) and crystallization temperature, crystalline structure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties (flexural modulus, flexural strength, and notched Izod impact strength), of the nylon 6/zinc composites were determined for each sample. Different DSC, ATG, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and mechanical measurements were performed. The results related to nylon 6 composites were compared with those obtained for pure nylon 6.