Effect of thermal ageing on Nylon 6,6 fibres

The residual effects of thermal ageing at various temperatures on fibres of the aliphatic polyamide Nylon 6,6 have been studied. Both crystal and macro structural characteristics manifest the residual effects. The former category includes changes in intensity, 2 values and half width. The macro changes include introduction of surface damages in the form of holes, material deposits etc. The fibre also undergoes reduction in weight. The structural changes suggest deterioration in the initial tensile characteristics which has been verified experimentally. A direct correlation between the tensile strength and the angular separation of the equatorial reflections has also been observed.