The influence of montmorillonite on the processing and properties of anionic polyamide 6/montmorillonite composites via vacuum assisted resin infusion

In this article, the vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI) process was employed to prepare anionic polyamide 6/montmorillonite (APA6/MMT) nanocomposites. The ɛ‐caprolactam and MMT mixture are infused into the mold by vacuum. At the same time, the anionic polymerization of ɛ‐caprolactam proceeds all the way which results in fast viscosity rise. To make the VARI process has more practical application value, enough infusion time is necessary. Three types of MMT were chosen in this paper: Na⁺‐MMT, OMMT‐CTAB, and OMMT‐AUA. In order to study the effects of MMT on infusion process and material's performance, conversion, and temperature test, X‐ray diffraction analysis, transmission electronic microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Molau test, and mechanical test were performed. The results indicated that the OMMT‐AUA can both further improve the material's performance and has longer infusion time for VARI process. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1481–1491, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers