Temperature dependence of polymer crystalline morphology in nylon 6/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The influence of nanodispersed montmorillonite layers and process history on the crystal structure of nylon 6 between room temperature and melting is examined with simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and modulated differential scanning calorimetry. For the examined process history, nylon 6 exhibits predominantly α-phase behavior from room temperature to melting, with a gradual shift in chain–chain and sheet–sheet spacings from ∼100°C to melting. In contrast, the presence of aluminosilicate layers stabilizes a dominant γ-crystal phase, which persists, essentially unmodified, until melting. The temperature dependence of the total crystallinity and the relative fractions of α- and γ-phases is strongly dependent on the layered silicate content and the interaction between the nylon 6 and the aluminosilicate layers. Additionally, the temperature dependence of the α- and γ-phases imply that the γ-phase is preferentially in the proximity of the silicate layers, whereas the α-phase exists away from the polymer–silicate interphase region: In general, process history and use-temperature will determine the relative fraction of the crystalline polymer phases in semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites, and thus have significant influence on the stability of the crystalline region at elevated temperatures.