Effect of layered silicate reinforcement on the structure and mechanical properties of spent polyamide-12 nanocomposites

The aim of this work was to study the structure and mechanical properties of spent polyamide-12 and spent polyamide-12/layered silicate reinforced novel nanocomposites. Layered silicate at 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt.% was incorporated in spent polyamide-12 and its nanocomposites were prepared using single screw injection moulding technique. The interlamellar structure and surface morphology were characterised by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Different levels of layered silicate dispersion (as characterised by TEM and SEM) correlated strongly with improvements in mechanical performance. The results showed that the tensile and flexural properties are found to be increased with the incorporation of layered silicate into spent PA-12 matrix. Comparison of tensile and flexural test results between virgin PA-12, spent PA-12 and spent PA-12 nanocomposites showed that spent PA-12 samples have retained 70% of its tensile and 80% of its flexural properties respectively, compared to virgin PA-12. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.