Reinforcement of nylon 6 with functionalized silica nanoparticles for enhanced tensile strength and modulus

Pristine and functionalized silica (SiO(2)) nanoparticles were dispersed into nylon 6 and drawn into filaments through melt extrusion. The loading fraction of particles in both cases was 1.0 wt%. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies revealed that reinforcement of pristine silica nanoparticles enhances the bond strength of each of the three basic bonds of nylon 6 namely, hydroxyl, amide, and carbonyl. As a result, the improvement over neat nylon in strength and modulus was 36% and 28% respectively, without any loss of fracture strain (80%). A silane coupling agent was then used through wet chemical treatment to functionalize silica nanoparticles. Functionalization induced an additional covalent Si-O-Si (siloxane) bond between silica particles and nylon backbone polymer while the enhancement in the basic bonds was retained. FTIR and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed the formation of the siloxane bond. This added chemical bond resulted in 76% and 55% improvement in tensile strength and modulus, and still retained 30% fracture strain. Calculation of the upper bound on Young's modulus indicates that one can reach within 5% of the bound with pristine silica particles, but it is exceeded by 15% when particles are functionalized.