In situ polymerization and nano‐templating phenomenon in nylon fiber/PMMA composite laminates

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (SC CO₂) is used as a reaction/processing medium in the fabrication of fiber‐reinforced composite materials. SC CO₂ allows resin (reactive monomer), to penetrate inside the fibers themselves, partitioning into the amorphous regions of the fiber. The crystal structure then templates polymerization of matrix within the fiber. This process produces a composite that exhibits ultralong‐range order from the nanoscale reinforcement of crystals to the macroscale fiber reinforcement of matrix. In addition, SC CO₂ lowers resin viscosity and aids in wetting out Nylon 6,6 fiber reinforcement in a process similar to reaction injection molding (RIM) or resin transfer molding (RTM). This article will discuss the fabrication technique in detail, including process parameters and the structure of resulting composites and morphology of modified fibers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1600–1607, 2003