Funct. Mater. 2024; 31 (1): 44-50.

This research paper delves into the investigation of the structure and properties of the polyamide PA-6-based polymer composites obtained by the methods of anionic in situ polymerization of ε-caprolactam and extrusion with the mechanical mixing of PA-6 and fillers in an extruder. To do the research, the researchers used a nanofiller, i.e. organomodified montmorillonite (oMMT) and also modified (MZ) and unmodified (Z) synthetic aluminosilicate (zeolite). The effect of the fillers on the structure of the polymer matrix was investigated using X-ray structure analysis (XSA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using these methods, it was established that the anionic in situ polymerization of ε-caprolactam in the oMMT interlayer space results in the formation of exfoliated composites in a significantly smaller amount. It was established that the modification of the zeolite surface with ammonium polyphosphate prevents the agglomeration of the filler particles, ensuring thus a more uniform distribution of them within the polymer matrix. A comparison of the structure of composites obtained by the methods of the in situ polymerization of ε-caprolactam and extrusion showed that the structures formed using these methods are similar. A comparative analysis of the properties showed that an increase in the modulus of elasticity for the both types of composites is accompanied by a decrease in the impact resilience due to an increase in the PCM stiffness. A decrease in the amount of the residual monomer in the composites obtained by extrusion is conditioned by the additional thermal effect during the composite production.