An investigation of the morphology of amorphous/semicrystalline nylon blends using small-angle x-ray scattering

• Published in: Macromolecules 1990-05, Vol.23 (10), p.2807-2814
• Main Authors: Myers, Mark E, Wims, Andrew M, Ellis, Thomas S, Barnes, John
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Properties and characterization; Structure, morphology and analysis
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma00212a036

Blends of nylon 6 and nylon 66, respectively, containing a miscible noncrystallizable polyamide have been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS. The relative constancy of both the local linear crystallinity and the interlamellar spacing, or long period, as the concentration of the noncrystallizable component increased to 75 wt.%, has been interpreted as the result of rejection of the latter from the interlamellar regions. For some blend compositions and under certain crystallization conditions, this interpretation is open to question; however, the presence of a heterogeneous mixed noncrystalline morphology is also supported by calorimetric studies, which indicate unusual glass transition, T sub g , behavior. Measurements of the diffuse boundary thickness show a dependence on blend composition which indicates that this region consists of nylon 6 or nylon 66. There is no substantive difference in the behavior of blends containing either nylon 6 or nylon 66, as the crystallizable component, with the noncrystallizable polyamide. Graphs. 22 ref.--AA