Effect of Impact Modifier Types on Mechanical Properties of Rubber-Toughened Glass-Fibre-Reinforced­ Nylon 66

Abstract

The effect of adding rubber on the properties of glass‐fibre‐filled nylon 66 was investigated in this study. Styrene‐Ethylene‐Butylene‐Styrene and Ethylene‐Propylene elastomers grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS‐g‐MA and EP‐g‐MA, respectively) were used to toughen the nylon‐matrix composites. Impact strength and elongation at break were found to increase with increasing rubber content, but flexural strength, tensile strength and stiffness decreased; however, by adding moderate amounts of rubber to glass‐fibre‐reinforced nylon 66, a desirable balance between stiffness and toughness of the material may be obtained. For example, the addition of 10 wt.% of SEBS‐g‐MA to nylon 66 with 23.62 wt.% glass fibre loading resulted in 28.3% and 167% increase in tensile strength and impact strength of the composites, respectively, when compared to neat nylon 66. This suggests that combining both glass fibres and rubber with nylon 66 is a useful strategy to optimize and enhance the properties of nylon 66. The procedure may be used to recycle polyamides, in general, and to develop components for under‐the‐hood automotive applications, in particular.

Correlation between compounding sequence and the properties of glass fiber‐Reinforced nylon‐6,6 composite

“…From the size distribution, the mass average GF length was calculated as 201, 194, 195, and 225 μm for S0 to S3, respectively. A typical critical length of the fiber for GF/nylon‐6,6 composite is reported to be about 230 μm . From the fiber length data, better mechanical properties of the composites can be expected in the order of S1 = S2 < S3, and this agreed with the above mechanical property data.…”

“…From the fiber length data, it can be assumed that the fracture mechanism of S0 to S2 composites will be dominated by fiber pull‐out instead of fiber fracturing during loading , and this can be confirmed by micrographs of the fractured surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of tensile fractured surfaces of S0 to S3 are shown in Fig.…”

“…It is well known that the amino group and MAH form covalent bonds via chemical reactions . Thus, it can be expected that the MAH of PP ‐g‐ MAH can react with nylon‐6,6 and/or aminosilane of the GF surface, and eventually GF and nylon‐6,6 can be chemically bridged through PP ‐g‐ MAH molecules.…”

“…Javangula compared low and high shear screw configurations of co‐rotating and counter‐rotating twin screw extruders for GF/nylon‐6,6 composites and observed that low shear design of co‐rotating twin screw extruders yielded better mechanical properties compared to others . Alsewailem reported that GF length decreased 6% and 27% after extrusion and extrusion followed by injection molding for GF/polypropylene (PP), respectively . Slightly more breakage was observed at higher GF content.…”

Enhancing the fracture toughness of glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6,6 composites with the addition of chain extender

“…Polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6) is one of these polymers. PA6,6 exhibits high toughness, strength, and chemical resistance and these properties supply a widespread usage area to PA6,6 . With the addition of glass fiber (GF) to PA6,6, mechanical properties such as mechanical strength increases.…”