The effect of graphene-based materials in polyamide 6 obtained by in situ thermoplastic resin transfer moulding (t-rtm) polymerization

Abstract

Polyamide 6 (PA6) and PA6 reinforced with graphene (APGBM) were developed by an in situ anionic ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam through thermoplastic resin transfer moulding (T-RTM) technology. In low viscosity raw materials, the dispersion of nanoparticles namely graphene, is a demanding challenge. The effect of different loadings of GBM was studied along with the thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites. It was found that the introduction of GBM had a nucleating effect on PA6 crystallization and increased crystallinity degree. Mechanical analyses of nanocomposites, including tensile and flexural tests, showed an improvement in mechanical performance with the addition of GBM. The APGBM prepared with 0.75 wt.% revealed better mechanical performance among