Morphology and mechanical properties of antimicrobial polyamide/silver composites

Silver filled antimicrobial polymers were produced from composites comprising polyamide and elementary silver powder possessing various specific surface area (SSA) by melt compounding. Different concentrations (2%, 4% and 8%) of the silver powder were incorporated in the polyamide to investigate the effect of silver loading on the mechanical properties. As the water uptake imparts antimicrobial properties, the influence of the diffused water on the mechanical properties of the composites is discussed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is employed to investigate the morphology of the composites. The composite morphology found to be dependent on the SSA of the silver powder employed within the polyamide matrix. DMTA measurements were performed to follow the visco elastic behaviour of the composites. The crystallinities of the composites were evaluated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.