Properties and preparation of compatibilized nylon 6 nanocomposites/ABS blends: Part II - Physical and thermal properties

The physical and thermal properties of nanoclay filled nylon 6 (nano-nylon 6) blended with poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)terpolymers (ABS) were investigated using metallocene polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (POE-gMA) or polybutadiene grafted maleic anhydride (PB-g-MA) as a compatibilizer. Cooling conditions significantly affected the crystalline structure of nano-nylon 6. No clear effect of both compatibilizers on the dispersion of clay has been observed via transmission electron microscope analysis. Through morphology observation, the ABS particle sizes tended to decrease with the addition of compatibilizers, especially in PB-g-MA cases, suggesting a good interfacial bonding between nano-nylon 6 matrix and ABS dispersed phase. Non-isothermal crystallization results indicated that the crystallization temperatures slightly changed with increasing content of compatibilizers. In addition, melting behaviors with different crystal forms varied widely with cooling conditions. The crystallization kinetics under isothermal conditions reflected that introduced compatibilizers impeded the growth rate, especially for PB-g-MA compatibilized system. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.