Mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of glass fiber and carbonfiber reinforced polyamide-6 and polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites

Carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced polyamide-6 and polyamide-6/clay na nocomposites were prepared. Results show that the mechanical and thermal pr operties of the polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites are superior to those of po lyamide-6 composite in terms of the heat distortion temperature, tensile an d flexural strength and modulus without sacrificing their impact strength. This may be due to the nanoscale effects, and the strong interaction force existed between the polyamide-6 matrix and the clay interface. The mechanic al properties of neat polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites are better than those of 10 wt.% glass fiber or carbon fiber reinforced polyamide-6. The effect of nanoscale clay on toughness is more significant than that of the fiber. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.