Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on morphological and mechanical properties of PA6/ECO blend

thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposites based on polyepichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide (ECO ) and polyamide (PA6) with functionalized(f-MWNTs) and non-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were prepared using a brabender internal mixer. Effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) on morphology and mechanical properties of PA6/ECO blends were studied. Morphology of PA6/ECO nanocomposites were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The SEM analysis of nanocomposite confirmed that ECO exhibited as a uniform dispersion in a continuous phase of PA6 matrix and show that the size of rubber droplets decreases by the introducing of nanotubes. The DMTA test shows that storage modulus of the PA6/ECO nanocomposite increases in comparison with the PA6/ECO blend. It also explains a reduction in damping by loading of the nanotube. The tensile modulus of samples improved with the increasing of MWNTs content and in particular with the increase of f-MWNTs content