Effect of environmental temperature and semi-crystalline order on the toughening of polyamide 1010 by 2D nanomaterials

By incorporating nanomaterials into polymer matrices, nanocomposites can be produced with enhanced properties, combining the ease of processing thermoplastics with the superior physical characteristics of nanoparticles. In this study, fully bio-based polyamide 1010 was used as the polymer matrix, with graphene oxide (GO), hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN), and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), both individually and in hybrids, serving as fillers. The tensile behavior of these nanocomposites was evaluated at room temperature and -40 degrees C, along with their morphology and microstructure. Results showed that the nanomaterials slightly shifted the polymer's crystallization temperature upward, indicating a small nucleating effect, but also hindered the development of crystalline domains, reducing the crystallization kinetics. Despite no change in the final crystalline form, nanocomposites with h-BN and MoS2 showed lower microstructural order as evidenced by XRD. Regarding tensile behavior, GO provided the greatest toughening at room temperature due to its larger lateral dimensions and good chemical affinity with the matrix. However, at low temperatures, h-BN-based nanocomposites maintained the toughening effect better than GO-based ones. This can be attributed to the lower order of the polymer's semi-crystalline structure promoted by h-BN, allowing greater energy dissipation. Surprisingly, hybrid fillers did not exhibit synergistic effects, with one nanomaterial hampering the effect of the other. However, SEM analysis indicated that the fracture mechanisms of the nanocomposites remained unchanged from the neat polymer, which makes them interesting options for applications that require desirable mechanical properties at a wide temperature range.