Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Long Carbon Fiber-reinforced Polyamide 6 Composites

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the influence of carbon fiber (CF) content on the mechanical and thermal properties of long carbon fiber (LCF)-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) thermoplastic composites. PA6/LCF composites were manufactured by a twin-screw extruder. The average length of the carbon fibers in the composites was approximately 13-15 mm. We found that the interfacial adhesion between the PA6 matrix and the carbon fibers was very good. The mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength, the tensile modulus, and the flexural strength of the PA6/LCF composites, increased as the CF content increased and were higher than those of short carbon fiber reinforced PA6 composites. The melting temperature (T-m) and thermal degradation temperature of the composites were not affected by the addition of CF, whereas the crystallization temperature (T-c) was affected by the addition of CFs.