Investigation of the Mechanical, Fatigue, and Creep Properties of PA6/GO Nanocomposites Manufactured by a Combination of Melt and Solvent Mixing

Abstract

This study investigated the mechanical, fatigue, and creep properties of polyamide 6 (PA6)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites manufactured by a combination of melt and solvent mixing. Results showed that increasing GO content improved tensile and bending properties and reduced temperature dependence. The tensile modulus and strength of PA6/GO nanocomposite containing 1 wt.% GO (PA6 + 1GO) were measured with an increment of 33% and 37%, respectively, compared with neat PA6. The reduction in tensile strength occurred gradually with the increasing amount of GO. As the temperature increased from 25 °C to 70 °C, the tensile strength of PA6 and PA6 + 1GO decreased by 20% and 4%, respectively. Fatigue tests demonstrated that the rigid GO particles hindered the deformation capability of the matrix and facilitated crack propagation. While the PA6 reached 105 cycles at 60% of its tensile strength, PA6 + 1GO was able to reach 105 cycles at 35% of its tensile strength. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that GO enhanced both storage modulus and glass transition temperature (Tg). Creep tests demonstrated better deformation resistance under stress in PA6/GO nanocomposites compared to pure PA6. After a 10 h creep test, the decrease in creep strain was observed as 52.4% for PA6 + 1GO.