The structural development of nylon6/layered silicate nanocomposite during zone-drawing

The structural development of nylon6/layered silicate nanocomposite during zone-drawing was studied using X-ray scattering and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The γ form, which was favored in the pressed film, was converted into the α form during zone-drawing. The newly developed α form, during zone-drawing, has a better orientation than the existing γ form, thus supporting the claim that the α form crystallizes away from the polymer-silicate inter-phase region during drawing. The degree of orientation of the layered silicate, projected along the TD direction, increases with the increase of the draw ratio, suggesting that the layered silicate has become straighter during zone-drawing, although the layered silicate within the zone-drawn film buckled perpendicular to the draw direction. The β transition of the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis is independent of the crystalline phase, although the α transition is strongly dependent upon the crystalline phase. This can be explained by the free volume that exists in the inter-phase between the γ lamellar and the layered silicate.