Paridokht Mahallati - Higher Education Department, Islamic Azad University South Branch, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad Arefazar - Polymer Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Ghasem Naderi - Iran Polymer & Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), Tehran, Iran

Morphological and thermal properties of PA6/NBR nanocomposites prepared through a direct melt mixing process in an internal mixer were studied. The effects of the NBR content (10, 30, and 50%) and nanoclay loading (3, 5, and 7%) on microstructure properties of the nanocomposites have been reported and compared with PA6/NBR blends as well. The TPE nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). XRD results show that Cloisite 30B is exfoliated into the PA6 and NBR. TEM image of the PA6/NBR/nanoclay composite confirms partial exfoliated structure of silicate layers dispersed into the both NBR and PA6 phases. The SEM photomicrograph of PA6/NBR nanocomposite shows an increasing of the rubber particles size in comparison with unfilled PA6/NBR TPE. DSC studies show that loading of the nanoclay reduces the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposite samples. The DMTA test shows that storage modulus of the PA6/NBR nanocomposite increases in comparison with PA6/NBR blend. It also explains a reduction in damping by loading of thenanoclay.

Nanocomposites, Thermoplastic elastomers, Nanoclay, Polyamide 6, NBR