Rubber toughening of nylon 6 nanocomposites

The rubber toughening of nylon 6 nanocomposites prepared from an organoclay was examined as a means of balancing stiffness/strength versus toughness/ductility. Nine different formulations varying in montmorillonite, or MMT, and maleated ethylene/propylene rubber or EPR-g-MA rubber content were made by mixing of nylon 6 and organoclay in a twin screw extruder and then blending the nanocomposites with the rubber in a single screw extruder. In this sequence, the MMT platelets were efficiently dispersed in the nylon 6 matrix. The MMT platelets did not penetrate into the rubber phase. The addition of clay affected the dispersion of the rubber phase resulting in larger and more elongated rubber particles. The tensile properties and impact strength of these toughened nanocomposites are discussed in terms of the MMT and rubber contents and morphology. There is a clear trade-off between stiffness/strength versus toughness/ductility.