Nanocomposites based on polyamide-6 and montmorillonite intercalated with polyvinylpyrrolidone

The paper deals with the investigation results of nanocomposites based on polyamide-6 (PA6) and montmorillonite (MMT) intercalated by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Nanocomposites were obtained by mixing in the melt and the formic acid solution. The structure and presence of physical interaction between the nanocomposite components have been established using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), IR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of PVP in the structure of nanocomposites obtained from the solution was confirmed by IR spectroscopic analysis; the presence of layered MMT in the pyrolysis residue of nanocomposites was confirmed by diffractometry. SEM analysis confirmed the presence of layered MMT nanoparticles in the nanocomposite structure. It is shown that polyamide-based nanocomposites with a supramolecular structure different from PA6 are formed by precipitation from a solution; a crystalline composite is formed by mixing the components in the melt. It was found that nanocomposites obtained from the solution have a higher melt flow index (MFI) and lower softening temperature compared to those obtained in the melt. The formation of a homogeneous blend based on PA6/int-MMT nanocomposite with polypropylene (PP) was confirmed and the increase of thermo-physical characteristics of PP was determined.