Effect of Fiber Side-Feeding on Various Properties of Nickel-Coated Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide 6 Composites Prepared by a Twin-Screw Extrusion Process

In the present study, how side-feeding of NiCF during twin-screw extrusion processing influences the fiber aspect ratio and thermal, mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of nickel-coated carbon fiber (NiCF)-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composites was explored. For this, the fiber length distribution, thermal stability, heat deflection temperature, dynamic mechanical property, tensile, flexural, electrical resistivity, and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) properties of NiCF/PA6 composites were extensively investigated. Chopped NiCF was regularly fed via either a main feeder or a side feeder and NiCF/PA6 pellets with different fiber-feeding pathways were prepared. The side-feeding effect of NiCF on the fiber length distribution and the composite properties was studied. The thermal stability, heat deflection temperature, storage modulus, tensile, flexural, and surface resistivity, and EMI SE properties of the NiCF/PA6 composites strongly depended not only on the NiCF content but also on the feeding method (main-feeding or side-feeding) upon extrusion processing, indicating that the fiber length distribution relevant to the fiber aspect ratio was critically important to enhance the composites' properties. As a result, the NiCF/PA6 composites produced via side-feeding of NiCF exhibited an NiCF distribution longer than that produced via main-feeding, leading to enhancement of the thermal stability, heat deflection temperature, storage modulus, tensile, flexural, and EMI SE properties, strongly depending on the NiCF content.