Fatigue and environmental resistance of polyester and nylon fibers

The fatigue resistance of individual synthetic fibers can govern the performance of complex fiber assemblies such as tire cord and marine rope under certain loading conditions. This paper explores the relative performance of polyester and nylon 6,6 fibers and yarns, both dry and in aqueous solutions, primarily synthetic seawater. Fiber failure over a range of loading conditions and frequencies was found to occur at a critical cumulative strain, governed by a creep rupture process; the cyclic lifetime for both fibers is predictable using a simple creep rupture based theory. Polyester is more resistant to creep rupture, and consequently outperforms nylon 6,6 in cyclic fatigue. The advantage of polyester is considerably greater in aqueous solutions, where the performance of the nylon is diminished. Other comparisons indicate that the particular polyester fibers studied have higher stiffness and strength, lower strain to failure, and much lower hysteresis energy absorption compared with the nylon. The actual fatigue performance of complex fiber assemblies such as ropes is also limited under many conditions by factors not present in single fiber or yarn fatigue, including hysteric heating and internal and external abrasion.     

Characteristics of nylon 6,6/nylon 6,6 grafted multi-walled carbon nanotube composites fabricated by reactive extrusion

Nylon 6,6 composites containing nylon 6,6 grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (nylon 6,6-g-MWCNT) were fabricated from nylon 6,6 and acyl chloride grafted MWCNT (MWCNT–COCl) by reactive extrusion. MWCNT–COCl was produced by reacting acid-treated MWCNTs with thionyl chloride. Formation of nylon 6,6-g-MWCNT by reactive extrusion was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. To quantify the interfacial adhesion energies of nylon 6,6 and pristine and functionalized MWCNTs, the contact angles of cylindrical drop-on-fiber systems were determined using the generalized droplet shape analysis. The interfacial adhesion energy of the nylon 6,6/nylon 6,6-g-MWCNT composite was twice that of the nylon 6,6/pristine MWCNT composite. Nylon 6,6-g-MWCNTs exhibited excellent dispersion in the composite, whereas pristine MWCNTs exhibited poor dispersion when composite films were prepared by solvent casting. The reinforcement level of the composite increased with increasing MWCNT content. Among the composites examined, the nylon 6,6/nylon-g-MWCNT composite with a fixed MWCNT content exhibited the highest level of reinforcement.     

Rheology of a textured fluid consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and nylon 6,6

The rheology and development of the texture of immiscible polymer blends based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and nylon 6,6 at composition ratios of 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 were studied. The blends were prepared by mixing in an extruder and by dry blending and mixing between cone-and-plate fixtures in a nitrogen atmosphere. The rheology of these blends was found to be a function of both polymer degradation and the two-phase morphology. An accelerated degradation rate in air was observed for the 75/25 and 50/50 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 blends relative to the neat polymers while the blend at a weight ratio of 25/75 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 displayed a rate of degradation similar to that of the neat polymers. The values of the steady shear viscosity (η), |η^*| storage modulus (G′), and steady-state first normal stress difference (N₁) for melt-blended 75/25 and 50/50 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 samples were lower than those of the neat polymers and were determined to be a consequence of the higher rate of degradation of these blends during extrusion relative to that of the neat polymers. The role played by the two-phase nature on the blends was observed for all samples prepared by dry blending and mixing in cone-and-plate fixtures under a nitrogen atmosphere and for the melt-blended 25/75 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 blend. The two-phase nature of the dry-blended samples and the extruded 25/75 w/w PET/nylon 6,6 sample resulted in values of |η^*|, η, G′, and N₁ which were higher than those of the neat polymers. Transient behavior observed for the blends using stepwise changes of shear rate was found to superimpose when plotted in reduced form, indicating that at rates lower than the longest relaxation time of the neat polymers there was no intrinsic time constant associated with the deformation of the interface in the blends. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Correlation between creep and dyeability of fibers

The dye uptake and creep deformation of commercial and heat-set poly(ethylene terephthalate) and nylon 6 fibers have been studied. On heat-setting, both dye uptake and creep are seen to decrease in the case of PET but show an increase in the case of nylon 6 fibers. This indicates that the rate-controlling factor for both these processes may be the same, and it is suggested that this factor could be sample morphology, in particular, the size and distribution of the amorphous volume in the fiber.     

Cationized nylon as adsorbent for anionic residual dyes

For use as an ion exchanger, a cationized nylon (EPTMAC–nylon) was prepared by reacting nylon‐6,6 with epoxy propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (EPTMAC), using anhydrous tin chloride (SnCl₂) as catalyst in a nonaqueous medium. Evidence of grafting was provided by atomic force microscopy and the exchange capacity of EPTMAC–nylon was evaluated by potentiometric titration. The adsorption of four dyes (Acid Blue 25, Acid Yellow 99, Reactive Yellow 23, and Acid Blue 74) from aqueous solutions using a batch process was studied according to the adsorption capacity of the cationized support. The effect of experimental parameters such as dye concentration and adsorption temperature were analyzed. The adsorption isotherms were determined at different temperatures and modeled using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Jossens equations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2513–2522, 2004     

Ultrasound‐assisted coating of nylon 6,6 with silver nanoparticles and its antibacterial activity

A silver/nylon 6,6 nanocomposite containing 1 wt % metallic silver has been produced from an aqueous solution of silver nitrate in the presence of ammonia and ethylene glycol by an ultrasound‐assisted reduction method. The structure and properties of nylon 6,6 coated with silver have been characterized with X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and diffused reflection spectroscopy measurements. The nanocrystals of pure silver, 50–100 nm in size, are finely dispersed on the polymer surface without damaging the nylon 6,6 structure. This silver–nylon nanocomposite is stable to many washing cycles and thus can be used as a master batch for the production of nylon yarn by melting and spinning processes. The fabric knitted from this yarn has shown excellent antimicrobial properties. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1423–1430, 2007     

Creep behavior of nylon fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete

This study aims to investigate the permanent deformation behavior of asphalt concrete reinforced by nylon fibers. Nylon fibers (12 mm length) have been added to a typical asphalt concrete at different percentages of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3% (based on total weight of mixture), and the permanent deformation behavior of the mixtures have been investigated by dynamic creep tests at different stress levels of 200 and 400 kPa, and different temperatures of 40, 50, and 60 °C on the mixtures. A three-stage model (developed by Zhou et al.) has been used for modeling the creep curve of the mixtures and determining the flow number and creep strain slope of the mixtures, which are used to describe the permanent deformation of asphaltic mixtures. The parameters of the models were determined in MATLAB using an algorithm established by Zhou et al. The results showed that the mixture reinforced by 0.1% of nylon fibers has the highest resistance to permanent deformation. The three-stage model was well fitted with the dynamic creep test results of the mixtures. The results also showed that the mixture containing 0.1% of nylon fibers has the lowest creep strain slope and the highest flow number, indicating that this mixture has the highest resistance to permanent deformation.     

Synthesis of nylon 6,6 copolymers with aromatic polyamide structure

In this article, flexible nylon 6,6 was reinforced with rigid‐chain aromatic polyamides based on poly(4,4′‐diphenylsulfone terephthalamide) (PSA), poly(p‐diphenyl oxide terephthalamide) (POA), poly(p‐diphenylmethane terephthalamide) (PMA), and isophthaloyl chloride (IPC). Various high molecular weight block copolyamides were synthesized by solution polymerization using p‐aminophenylacetic acid (p‐APA) as a coupling agent. Their thermal properties show that the block copolyamides exhibit higher values of T_g and T_m and better thermal stability than those of nylon 6,6, especially the IPC‐modified nylon 6,6. The order of increased thermal properties of copolyamides is IPC > POA > PMA > PSA. From wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction patterns, it was found that nylon 6,6 has two diffraction peaks, that is, 2θ = 20.5° and 23°, while the multiblock copolymers showed only one at 2θ = 20°, indicating a different crystal structure. It was found that the mechanical properties of the IPC‐modified nylon 6,6 were improved more than those of the semirigid copolyamides. The order of tensile strength was IPC > PSA > PMA > POA, but for elongation, it was POA > PMA > PSA > IPC. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2167–2175, 2001     

Kevlar and glass fiber treatment for thermoplastic composites by step polycondensation

Nylon‐6,6 was grafted at the surface of glass and plasma‐treated Kevlar fibers for use in nylon–Kevlar thermoplastic composites. Hydroxyl and, in the case of Kevlar, amine end‐groups occur at the fibre surface, either as defects or due to the plasma treatment. These were used as anchor points for nylon‐6,6 step polycondensation. Fibers were subjected to successive dipping in adipoyl chloride/CH₂Cl₂ and aqueous hexamethylenediamine solutions in order to attach and grow high molecular weight polymer on the fiber surface. Grafted nylon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. It was shown that no backbiting occurred during the first stage of the grafting process and that the polymer quantity increased linearly with number of passes, up to ∼50 passes for plasma‐treated Kevlar and 100 for glass fibers, after which polymer quantity remained constant, within experimental error, which was attributed to the onset of termination reactions. POLYM. COMPOS., 28:278–286, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Acid–base characterization of wood and selected thermoplastics

The objective of this work was to study the acid–base properties of wood, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), nylon 6 and 6,6 by wetting and inverse gas chromatography (IGC) analyses. Information about the acid–base characteristics of these materials should be useful to improve the intermolecular bonding properties in wood-plastic composites. The acid–base properties of pine wood veneers, PVC and nylon 6,6 were determined by contact angle analysis using the work of adhesion (or Fowkes), van Oss–Chaudhury–Good (vOCG) and Chang–Qin–Chen (CQC) approaches. The IGC analysis was performed on maple wood, PVC and nylon 6 particles, and was carried out at infinite dilution using a series of both non-polar and polar acid–base probe gases. The contact angle analysis of the wood veneers using both the work of adhesion and the vOCG approaches showed that the presence of wood extractives was the dominant factor influencing the acid–base properties of the veneers. Particularly, it was shown that aging of non-extracted veneers increased and decreased their acidic and basic properties, respectively. This is presumably due to reorientation of functional groups and oxidation at the wood extractives–air interface. In the vOCG model, considerably higher base/acid ratios were obtained when using probe liquid parameters according to van Oss compared to those obtained by using liquid parameters according to Della Volpe and Siboni. Based on both the vOCG and the CQC models it was shown that nylon 6,6 had greater acid and base parameters than PVC. Additionally, the CQC model seems to be a promising tool to determine the acid–base characteristics of materials. The IGC analysis showed that nylon 6 had greater acid and base parameters than both wood and PVC which implies a strong ability to enter into acid–base interactions. The results also suggested that an increase in the basic character of wood could have the potential to improve its bonding with both PVC and nylon 6.     

Polymerization compounding composites of nylon‐6,6/short glass fiber

Nylon‐6,6 was grafted onto the surface of short glass fibers through the sequential reaction of adipoyl chloride and hexamethylenediamine onto the fiber surface. Grafted and unsized short glass fibers (USGF) were used to prepare composites with nylon‐6,6 via melt blending. The glass fibers were found to act as nucleating agents for the nylon‐6,6 matrix. Grafted glass fiber composites have higher crystallization temperatures than USGF composites, indicating that grafted nylon‐6,6 molecules further increase crystallization rate of composites. Grafted glass fiber composites were also found to have higher tensile strength, tensile modulus, dynamic storage modulus, and melt viscosity than USGF composites. Property enhancement is attributed to improved wetting and interactions between the nylon‐6,6 matrix and the modified surface of glass fibers, which is supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The glass transition (tan δ) temperatures extracted from dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) are found to be unchanged for USGF, while in the case of grafted glass fiber, tan δ increases with increasing glass fiber contents. Moreover, the peak values (i.e., intensity) of tan δ are slightly lower for grafted glass fiber composites than for USGF composites, further indicating improved interactions between the grafted glass fibers and nylon‐6,6 matrix. The Halpin‐Tsai and modified Kelly‐Tyson models were used to predict the tensile modulus and tensile strength, respectively.     

A realistic comparison of biaxial performance of nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 fabrics used in passive restraints—airbags

Nylon has been the material of choice for airbag construction because of its specific strength and dimensional stability during deployment. Of the nylons, nylon 6,6 has been widely used in airbag construction. In this article, we attempted to compare the performance of several commercial nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 fabrics offered, for use, to the auto industry. The performance of four traditional nylon 6,6 fabrics are compared with identical fabrics made from nylon 6 fibers. We used a test procedure championed by Chrysler but was developed in our laboratory called the blister-inflation. This test mimics the biaxial deformation of airbag fabric in a manner similar to the deformation of airbag fabric during actual deployment. Several other engineering properties of interest in airbag application are also addressed in this article for comparison purposes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Immobilization of chitosan on nylon 6,6 and pet granules through hydrolysis pretreatment

Chitosan has been increasingly studied as an adsorbent for removing heavy metal ions and organic compounds from aqueous solutions. Most of the studies used chitosan in the form of flakes, powder, or hydrogel beads. This research investigates the immobilization of chitosan on other granular materials to overcome the poor mechanical property of chitosan and offers the potential for chitosan to be used as a regenerable adsorbent. Nylon 6,6 and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) granules were partially hydrolyzed under an acidic or alkaline condition to allow chitosan to be coated or immobilized on the granules' surfaces. The surface morphologies of nylon 6,6 or PET granules before and after hydrolysis and those with immobilized chitosan layer were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their surface properties were characterized through ζ‐potential analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The immobilization of chitosan on nylon 6,6 or PET granules was identified to be through the formation of the salt structure (–NH…^?OOC–) between the surfaces of hydrolyzed nylon 6,6 or PET granules and the chitosan layer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3973–3979, 2003     

Properties of films and fibers obtained from Lewis acid-base complexed nylon 6,6

A nylon 6,6 complex with GaCl₃ in nitromethane (4-5 wt% nylon 6,6) was prepared at 50-70 °C over 24 h for the purpose of disrupting the interchain hydrogen bonding between nylon 6,6 chains, resulting in amorphous nylon 6,6, and increasing the draw ratio for improving the performance of nylon 6,6 fibers. After drawing, complexed films and fibers were soaked in water to remove GaCl₃ and regenerate pure nylon 6,6 films and fibers. FTIR, SEM, DSC, TGA, and mechanical properties were used for characterization of the regenerated nylon 6,6 films and fibers. The amorphous complexed nylon 6,6 can be stretched to high draw ratios at low strain rates, due to the absence of hydrogen bonding and crystallinity in these complexed samples. Draw ratios of 7-13 can be achieved for complexed fibers, under low strain rate stretching. This study indicates that nylon 6,6 fibers made from the GaCl₃ complexed state, using a high molecular weight polymer, can reach initial moduli up to 13 GPa, compared to initial moduli of 6 GPa for commercial nylon 6,6 fibers. Lewis acid-base complexation of polyamides provides a way to temporarily suppress hydrogen bonding, potentially increasing orientation while drawing, and following regeneration of hydrogen bonding in the drawn state, to impart higher performance to their fibers.     

Investigations on nylon 4 membranes: Synthesis and transport properties. II. Transport properties of nylon 4 polymer membranes

The reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and dialysis properties of nylon 4 membranes to separations of sodium chloride, urea, a series of ethylene glycols and other compounds in the aqueous phase were investigated. The nylon 4 membranes were prepared from a formic acid solution with and without organic or inorganic additives. The effects of polymer concentration, amount of additives, casting time, and temperature on the membrane performance in terms of salt separation and product rate were investigated. The tensile properties of the nylon 4 membranes in both the dry and wet states were determined. It was found that the highest salt separation of a 0.1% sodium chloride solution did not exceed 53.3%. However, these membranes showed some intersting dialysis properties which were comparable to those of commercial cellophane and cellulose acetate membranes.     

Distribution and diffusion coefficients of NaCl in polyamide (nylon‐6,6 and polyxylyleneadipamide) membranes

Thin membranes of an aliphatic polyamide (nylon‐6,6) and an aromatic polyamide (polyxylyleneadipamide) (PXAP) were prepared, and their distribution (K) and overall diffusion (D) coefficients of sodium chloride were measured with the unsteady‐state and steady‐state dialysis method. The overall diffusion coefficients at a zero concentration [D⁽⁰⁾] of sodium chloride for nylon‐6,6 and PXAP were 1.3–0.8 μm²/s (from 2 min of interfacial polymerization to 4 min) and 0.078, respectively. D⁽⁰⁾ for PXAP was about 3 times greater than that of a cellulose acetate (CA) membrane (0.024 μm²/s). The K values for nylon‐6,6 and PXAP were 0.7–0.5 from 2 to 4 min and 0.05, respectively. K for PXAP was almost the same as K for CA (0.06). A two‐part (dense and porous) model of the membrane structure was applied to obtain D_d (the diffusion coefficient in the dense part of the membrane) and D_p (the diffusion coefficient in the porous part of the membrane) for CA, PXAP, and nylon‐6,6 thin membranes. The values of D_d were almost the same for both nylon‐6,6 and PXAP (0.05–0.061 μm²/s) and about 10 times greater than the value for the CA membrane (5.6 × 10^?3 μm²/s). D_p for PXAP was almost the same as D_p for CA. However, D_p for the nylon‐6,6 membrane was 10–16 times greater than D_p for the PXAP membrane. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2605–2612, 2002     

Electrospun nylon 6,6 nanofibers functionalized with cyclodextrins for removal of toluene vapor

Functional nylon 6,6 nanofibers incorporating cyclodextrins (CD) were developed via electrospinning. Enhanced thermal stability of the nylon 6,6/CD nanofibers was observed due to interaction between CD and nylon 6,6. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies indicated the existence of some CD molecules on the surface of the nanofibers. Electrospun nylon 6,6 nanofibers without having CD were ineffective for entrapment of toluene vapor from the environment, whereas nylon 6,6/CD nanofibrous membranes can effectively entrap toluene vapor from the surrounding by taking advantage of the high surface‐volume ratio of nanofibers with the added advantage of inclusion complexation capability of CD presenting on the nanofiber surface. The modeling studies for formation of inclusion complex between CD and toluene were also performed by using ab initio techniques. Our results suggest that nylon 6,6/CD nanofibrous membranes may have potential to be used as air filters for the removal of organic vapor waste from surroundings. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41941.     

Viscoelastic behavior of flexible slabstock polyurethane foam as a function of temperature and relative humidity. II. Compressive creep behavior

The compression creep behavior was monitored at constant temperature and/or relative humidity for two slabstock foams with different hard-segment content. The tests were performed by applying a constant load (free falling weight) and then monitoring the strain as a function of time over a 3-h time period. A near linear relationship is obtained for linear strain versus log time after a short induction period for both foams and at most conditions studied (except at temperatures near and above 125°C). The slope of this relationship or the initial creep rate is dependent on the initial strain level, espcially in the range of 10–60% deformation. This dependence is believed to be related to the cellular structs buckling within this range of strain. At deformations greater than 60% and less than 10%, the solid portion of the foam is thought to control the compressive creep behavior in contrast to the cellular texture. Increasing relative humidity does cause a greater amount of creep to occur and is believed to be a result of water acting as a plasticizer. For low humidities increasing the temperature from 30 to 85°C, a decrease in the rate of creep is observed at a 65% initial deformation. At 125°C, an increase in the creep rate is seen and is believed to be related to chemical as well as additional structural changes taking place in the solid portion of the foams. The creep rate is higher for the higher hard-segment foam (34 wt %) than that of the lower (21 wt %) at all of the conditions studied and for the same initial deformation level. This difference is principally attributed to the greater amount of hydrogen bonds available for disruption in the higher hard-segment foam. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Limonene transport and mechanical properties of EVOH and nylon 6,6 films as influenced by RH

The transport properties of d‐limonene through ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH) and nylon 6,6 films as functions of relative humidity (RH) and temperature were studied. Permeation properties of these polymers were strongly influenced by temperature and RH. Compared to the EVOH films, the nylon 6,6 film had much greater limonene permeability. Mechanical property studies indicated that both the tensile modulus and yield strength of the EVOH films decreased with an increase in RH. The polymer changed from being stiff and brittle at low RH to being soft and ductile at high RH. In addition, ethylene content and orientation were found to affect the transport and mechanical properties of limonene through EVOH polymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1949–1957, 2001     

In situ formation and incorporation of additives into polymers during interfacial polycondensation reactions

One of the objectives of the work was to attempt the in situ formation of inorganic fillers during interfacial polycondensation reactions. The complementary components of the filler were added separately to the organic and aqueous phases of the system so that they formed the insoluble filler at the interface simultaneously with the polymer. Since the polyamide plastics have good molding properties, nylon 610 was selected as the principal model, but some work was also carried out with a urethane polymer. Further, coloring of nylon 610 and of a polyurethane resin was investigated by lake formation at the interface with the help of 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone in the organic phase and a metal salt in the aqueous phase. In this way, red- and blue-colored polymers were prepared. Finally, by adding zinc ions to the aqueous and pentachlorophenol to the organic phase, zinc pentachlorophenate was incorporated into nylon 610 during its formation. The ignition point of the resultant product was significantly higher than that of a sample to which zinc pentachlorophenate had been added by mechanical mixing.