Comparative mechano-morphological studies on polyamide 6 based single polymer laminate composites prepared by different reactive processing techniques

Single polymer composites (SPC) based on polyamide 6 (PA6) are developed via nylon reactive injection molding (NYRIM) or powder coating/compression molding (PCCM) in the presence of PA6 woven textile plies. The effect of fiber volume fraction of textile on the tensile properties of the SPC resulting from both molding techniques were investigated and compared. Polarizing light microscopy (PLM) was applied to detect a transcrystalline layer at the fiber-matrix interface. The results showed that applying PCCM technique increased the tensile modulus of SPC by ca. 50% as compared to the neat matrix component. Some SPC were reprocessed and the resulting PA6 molded plates showed morphology and mechanical properties very similar to those of commercial hydrolytic neat PA6. The thermal stability and crystallizability of both NYRIM and PCCM laminate systems was studied by means of TGA and DTA in the temperature range from 30ºC-550°C.This work was partially financed by FEDER funds through the COMPETE program and by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the project POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007136. SDT thanks FCT for his PhD Grant SFRH/BD/94759/2013. NVD thanks for the financial support of FCT in the frames of the strategic project UID/CTM/50025/2013. Finally, ZZD is thankful to FCT for the SFRH/BSAB/130271/2017 personal research grant. All authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the project TSSiPRO-NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000015 funded by the regional operational program NORTE 2020, under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund.