Effects of Anti-Oxidants on Size Distribution of Polycaprolactam during Melting and Melt-Spinning

Abstract

The changes in the size distribution of polycaprolactam that take place during melting and melt-spinning have been studied. During melting under a nitrogen atmosphere, thermal degradation as well as post polymerization takes place. Spinning the polymer under atmospheric conditions, thermal, thermo-oxidative, and mechanical degradations come into play. Post polymerization is also operative in this case. The net change that is being encountered in these processes is a broader size distribution of the polymer as compared to that of the parent one. The effects of three different anti-oxidants, which are paraphenylene diamine derivatives, on the size distribution of polycaprolactam during melting and melt-spinning have been studied. Anti-oxidants are found to check the broadening of the size-distribution curve and retain the mechanical properties of the material to an appreciable extent, even after heat treatment at a temperature of 160°C for 8 hours under atmospheric condition.