journal article·2026-05-10Open access

In Situ Construction of Polysiloxane‐Grafted Carbon Nanotubes in PA6 Matrix: Interfacial Structure Tailoring and Enhanced Load Transfer

Huanhuan Wang, Qi Qu, Jun Yang, Qingbin Tian, Jin Wang, Jiming Gao, Yufeng Liu, Yan He

Polymer Composites· Volume 47· Issue 9

Abstract

ABSTRACT The practical application of polyamide 6 (PA6) in structural engineering is hindered by its limited toughness and weak interfacial interaction with reinforcing fillers. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely explored to overcome these deficiencies, yet their strong tendency to agglomerate and poor compatibility with PA6 restrict efficient load transfer. Herein, we propose a solvent‐free one‐pot in situ polymerization strategy that simultaneously functionalizes carboxylated CNTs with bis(3‐aminopropyl)‐terminated polydimethylsiloxane (APDMS) and integrates them into PA6 during ε‐caprolactam polymerization. Compared with neat PA6, the nanocomposites exhibited increases of 16.1% in tensile strength, 21.9% in flexural strength, and 10.3% in notched impact strength. These improvements originate from a chemically bridged siloxane interphase, in which APDMS provides dual amino groups for covalent coupling and a flexible backbone for interfacial stress dissipation. The proposed approach eliminates the need for organic solvents and multi‐step procedures, providing an environmentally friendly and scalable route to tailor interfacial structures. This work not only demonstrates a balanced enhancement in stiffness, strength, and toughness, but also provides mechanistic insights into interphase engineering for advanced thermoplastic nanocomposites.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Carbon Nanotubes in Composites · Fiber-reinforced polymer composites · Polymer crystallization and properties

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Qingdao University of Science and Technology Qingdao China

Zhuzhou Times New Material Technology Co., Ltd. Zhuzhou China

Qingdao University Qingdao China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province · Key Technologies Research and Development Program

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