Influence of processing conditions on the mechanical behavior of MWCNT reinforced thermoplastic nanocomposites

The influence of the processing conditions and MWCNT content on the mechanical properties of PA6,6-based nanocomposites are investigated. In addition to the composition of the composites, the impact of manufacturing conditions such as dilution mechanism, twin-screw extruder mixing specifications, and injection molding parameters on the behavior of the nanocomposites are evaluated. Results show that while the increase in the content of MWCNTs can lead to 40.0 % enhancement in the mechanical properties, changing the processing parameters varies the values by 30.0 % in the same content. The mechanisms involved in the modulation of the nanocomposites properties are also discussed. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.