The Effect of Molecular Parameters on the Thermal Behavior of Recycled and Virgin Polyamides and Their Glass Fiber Composites

Abstract

Abstract A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of molecular weight and molecular structure on non-isothermal crystallization behavior of recycled and virgin polyamides (PA) and their corresponding glass fiber (GF) composites. Two different recycled polyamides (PA), namely post-industrial waste (PIW) and post-consumer waste (PCW) were used. The former was obtained from a fiber manufacturer and the latter was recycled from used carpets. The molecular weights of the resins were measured by intrinsic viscosity (IV) measurements and 13carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR). The NMR technique also provided information on PA structure, cis and trans amide conformers content and residual unreacted monomer. Non-isothermal crystallization of the resins was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular weights of recycled materials were higher than that of virgin injection molding grade PA-6. However, the crystallization rates (indicated by t1/2) of recycled resins were faster. It could be attributed to the presence of TiO2 in recycled materials. Moreover, the higher cis-amide conformer content of recycled resins suggested higher segmental mobility. On the other hand, the crystallization rate of composites based on recycled PA-6 was slower than that of composites based on the virgin PA-6. The suppression of crystallization rate was apparently due to PA-66 added during the preparation of reinforced recycled resins. This behavior was confirmed by model compounds based on PA-6/PA-66 blends.