Mechanical and thermal properties of a newly developed sepiolite filler-filled rPET/PA11 thermoplastic nanocomposites

Abstract

The study examined the impact of sepiolite filler-filled nanocomposites in a novel recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET)/polyamide (PA11)/joncryl® blend. Sepiolite filler significantly improved the mechanical and thermal properties of nanocomposites. A twin-screw extruder and injection moulding machines were employed to manufacture five different formulations of nanocomposites. The tensile strength (37.6 MPa) and Young's modulus (944.25 MPa) of the blend NCS-0 improved with the addition of 2 phr of sepiolite. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of nanocomposites (NCS-2) were recorded at 41.3 MPa and 974.25 MPa, respectively. The lowest sepiolite filler content (2 phr) had the maximum tensile strength among all other ratios. The flexural strength of NCS-2 was recorded at 47.3 MPa. The tensile and flexural modulus of nanocomposites were significantly enhanced by incorporating 2 phr of sepiolite. The impact strength of NCS-2 (252.98 MPa) was much higher than NCS-8. The addition of sepiolite filler increased the glass transition temperature (Tg) by 38 %. The onset of decomposition temperature (Tonset) of the blend (NCS-0) improved by 20–22° Celsius (oC). Overall, nanocomposites with 2 phr sepiolite demonstrated the ultimate mechanical and thermal properties. These results explored new ways of using rPET/PA11 compatibilized blend in the automotive industry.