title: Crystalline transformations in nylon-6/single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites.
abstract: Nylon-6/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanocomposites with different SWNTs loadings were prepared by melt-blending. An efficient dispersion of SWNTs into the nylon-6 matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. DSC and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction were used to provide detailed information on the effect of SWNTs on the crystalline phase transition of nylon-6 in the nanocomposites. The incorporation of SWNTs accelerated the crystallization rate of nylon-6 due to a nucleating effect. The variable-temperature WAXS experiments, in both neat nylon-6 and nylon-6 nanocomposites, showed that the crystallization from the melt occured through the formation of the pseudo-hexagonal crystal form (gamma) and its transformation to the monoclinic form (alpha) on cooling. Additionally, this crystalline transition was reversible as observed upon heating. The alpha-gamma crystalline transformation temperature of nylon-6 was dependent on heating rate and, more importantly, on the SWNT content.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física e Ingeniería de Polímeros, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros, CSIC, c/Juan de la Cierva, 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naffakh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Maser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Martínez