Preparation Of Polyamide66/Poss Nanocomposite Fibre

Poly hexamethylene adipamide (PA66) nanocomposites fibres were prepared using octaphenyl silsesquioxane (OPS) and octaaminophenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OAPS) as fillers. The effects of the composition and the type of the components on the morphology, mechanical, flow and thermal properties were investigated. During the study PA66was melt mixed with the two POSS in varying percentages (1,2, and3weight%) under the same processing conditions (screw speed, spinning temperature and draw ratio).Nanocomposites are a new class of mineral-field plastics that contain relatively small amounts (<10%) of nanometer-sized particles. Production of thermoplastic based nanocomposites involves melt mixing the polymer (Polyamide66, PA66) and nanoparticles (POSS) that have been modified with amine terminated benzene group. The modification was achieve in two steps, first by nitration of octa-phenyl POSS to obtain octa-nitrophenyl POSS then subjecting to mild reduction to form octa-aminophenyl POSS. During mixing, polymer chains diffuse from the bulk polymer into the van der Waals galleries between the POSS interfaces.FTIR and’HNMR results showed that the aromatic reduction of ONPS to OAPS using hydrazine hydrate was successful. Mechanical tests, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and rheological measurements were used to characterize the nanocomposites. The1%POSS content recorded better results because of the inhibited agglomeration as observed in the SEM micrographs due higher degrees of particle exfoliation. Recrystallization temperature improved from219℃for neat PA66to225℃for PA66/POSS composites (1,2,3%wt POSS). The onset decomposition temperature improves by up to6℃with the addition of POSS as indicated by TGA analysis. Nearly all the mechanical properties of the composite were found to increase with the POSS loading, tensile modulus and tenacity increased by up to8%and2%respectively. However, it was seen that3%POSS loading does not give the material performance enhancements due to higher degree of agglomeration which causes defect points in the structure.