Influence of Mold Temperature Associated with Glass Fiber on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of a (PA6/GF/MMT) Nanocomposite

Resumen

This work describes the second of a series of studies of the effects of injection molding conditions on the
mechanical and thermal properties of Polyamide 6/Glass Fiber/Montmorillonite (PA6/GF/MMT) composites
and was motivated by the lack of information about how the processing variables influence on the properties
of three-phase composites containing fiber glass. By this time, the effects of the injection molding temperature
associated with the fiber glass percentage on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite are
investigated. Some samples were processed, following a statistical experimental factorial planning, varying
the mold temperature and the fiber glass percentage and maintaining 5 wt % of the MMT. The samples were
submitted to tensile and flexural tests, XRD, SEM and DSC. The studies showed that an increase in the mold
temperature and the fiber percentage improves the maximum tensile and flexural stresses. The increased
mold temperature slows the cooling rate, which, over time, decreases the degree of crystallinity. However,
there is an increase in the intercalation of the polymeric chains and the nanoclay lamellae, and the structure
forms with fewer defects.