Crystallization of a polyamide 6/Montmorillonite nanocomposite at rapid cooling

The crystallization behavior of a polyamide 6/organo-modified montmorillonite (PA 6/OMMT) nanocomposite has been investigated by scanning chip calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray scattering, with emphasis placed on the evaluation of the effect of supercooling/cooling rate on the crystal/mesophase polymorphism of the PA 6matrix. Presence of OMMT has negligible effect on the kinetics of formation of alpha-crystals of PA 6 at low cooling rate while there is observed enhanced nucleation of gamma-mesophase on fast cooling. Furthermore, addition of OMMT leads to a distinct increase of the cooling rate required to completely vitrify the amorphous state. The performed experiments demonstrate that the nucleating effect of OMMT in PA 6/OMMT nanocomposites is of particular importance at cooling conditions relevant in polymer processing.