Enhancing multi-micro/nanolayer polymers: synthesis, characterization, and impact of modified clay in ABS/PA6 blends

This study focuses on utilizing montmorillonite (MMT) to induce a multi-micro/nanolayer morphology in PA6/ABS blend polymers by mitigating phase retraction and coalescence. Both untreated and modified MMT were incorporated at weight contents ranging from 1 to 5 wt% to manipulate morphology through selective localization at the interface. The nanocomposites' morphology was analyzed, and the cooperative effects were correlated with their structural, thermal, rheological, and mechanical characteristics. Structural analysis revealed that intercalation resulted in the appearance of novel bands, particularly in CTAB-modified MMT, which adopted a tilted monolayer arrangement. SEM results demonstrated excellent distribution and dispersion of exfoliated modified MMT, effectively suppressing coalescence and promoting a finer multilayer morphology. Compared to nanocomposites based on unmodified MMT, the ones based on CTAB-modified MMT exhibited superior thermal stability. Furthermore, the stiffness of the blend matrix increased with clay content, and the nanocomposites stabilized with modified MMT showed enhanced strain-to-failure properties.