Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate) Nano-Composites

To obviate the brittleness and improve the mechanical properties of poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate) (PTHFMA), clay mineral nano-composites of PTHFMA with two different montmorillonites (MMT), Cloisite® 20A and Cloisite® 30B, were prepared. The mechanical properties were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and nanoindentation. The thermal properties of the nano-composites were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). According to the DMA results, tanδ was increased by addition of the clay, leading to the improvement in the mechanical properties which was also confirmed by the nanoindentation results. TGA thermograms showed better thermal stability for the nano-composites compared to that of the homopolymer. Considering all results, the clay mineral polymer nano-composites (CPN) with Cloisite® 20A exhibited better properties compared to those with Cloisite® 30B. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns validated intercalation-exfoliation of the clay mineral layers for the Cloisite 20A and intercalation of the Cloisite 30B in the polymer matrix.     

Molecular dynamics studies of polyurethane nanocomposite hydrogels

Polyurethane PEO-based hydrogels have a broad range of biomedical applicability. They are attractive for drug-controlled delivery systems, surgical implants and wound healing dressings. In this study, a PEO based polyurethane hydrogels containing Cloisite® 30B, an organically modified clay mineral, was synthesized. Structure of nanocomposite hydrogels was determined using XRD technique. Its molecular dynamics was studied by means of NMR spectroscopy, DMA and DSC analysis. The mechanical properties and thermal stability of the systems were improved by incorporation of clay and controlled by varying the clay content in polymeric matrix. Molecular dynamics of polymer chains depends on interaction of Cloisite® 30B nanoparticles with soft segments of polyurethanes. The characteristic nanosize effect is observed.     

PVDF-Based Nanocomposite Solid Polymer Electrolytes; the Effect of Affinity Between PVDF and Filler on Ionic Conductivity

Nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (NSPEs) based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) were prepared by dispersing two kinds of organoclay (Cloisite^® 30B, Cloisite^® 15A) consisting of silicate layers in the polymer matrix. The effect of affinity between PVDF and organoclay as the filler on ionic conductivity was investigated in relation to its content, dispersed condition of organoclay, and structural changes of nanocomposites. The characterizations of PVDF-based nanocomposites with various organoclay contents were carried out by XRD, TEM, DSC, and DMA. In order to confirm the ion conduction properties of NSPEs with LiCF₃SO₃ at room temperature, ac impedance analyzer and FT-IR spectrometer were used. As a result, a higher ionic conductivity appeared in the case of NSPE with C15A than that with C30B and the maximum conductivity was 1.04 × 10^–3 S/cm for the NSPE containing 5 wt% of C15A and 40 wt% of LiCF₃SO₃.     

Preparation, characterization and properties of amino-functionalized montmorillonite and composite layer-by-layer assembly with inorganic nanosheets

An amino-functionalized montmorillonite (APTMS-MMT) was prepared by the grafting of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) on the surface of MMT via the ultrasonic synthesis process and characterized by a variety of techniques: FT-IR, thermogravimetic analysis (TGA), particles size analysis and ζ-potential measurement. The results showed the size and size distribution of APTMS-MMT particles were decreased, and the ζ-potential of particles was increased obviously via the ultrasonic synthesis process. The particles of 30% APTMS-MMT_US (MMT modified with 30 wt% APTMS with ultrasonic synthesis process) had a z-average diameter of about 500 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.2. The resultant 30% APTMS-MMT_US was dispersed uniformly and stably in water. The poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/APTMS-MMT multilayer films were grown through layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of PAA and APTMS-MMT. SEM results indicated that the ultrasonic synthesis of APTMS-MMT increased dispersability of clay sheets at high loadings. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of PAA/APTMS-MMT composites were investigated by TGA and tensile test respectively. The results showed the ultrasonic synthesis of APTMS-MMT enhanced the thermal stability and mechanical properties of PAA/APTMS-MMT composites significantly. PAA/30% APTMS-MMT_US composite displayed 3 times higher strength and 6 times higher Young's modulus when compared with pure PAA polymer.     

Preparation and Characterization of Silicon-containing Polyarylacetylene/montmorilloite Nanocomposites

Dimethylphenylpropargyl ammonium bromide (DMPPAB) was synthesized and used to modify pristine montmorillonite (MMT) by a cation exchange process. The organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) was verified and used to mix with a silicon-containing polyarylacetylene (PSA) as well as MMT. The PSA/MMT and PSA/OMMT nanocomposites were prepared by solution under sonication and melting intercalation processes, respectively, and then cured by a step heating process. The thermal and flexural properties of the cured PSA and nanocomposites were studied by thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analysis. The results showed that the intercalation of DMPPAB into the MMT galleries made the d-spacing enlarge. During PSA curing, the cure heat of PSA caused the MMT and OMMT to delaminate and exfoliate in the PSA matrix. The glass transition temperature of the cured PSA and nanocomposites were higher than 500?°C. The inner acetylenic groups in the PSA resin could further crosslink above 300?°C. The temperature at 5% mass loss of the cured PSA decreased by 4.6% with 3% mass fraction of OMMT loading, and the char yield of the cured PSA changed only slightly. The flexural strength of the cured PSA was augmented with addition of MMT or OMMT, but the flexural modulus of the cured PSA decreased slightly. The flexural strength of the cured nanocomposite increased from 20.1?MPa to 30.1?MPa when 3% mass fraction of OMMT was added into the PSA matrix.     

Preparation and Thermal Properties of Boron-Containing o-Cresol-Formaldehyde Resin/Octa(aminophenyl)-POSS Nanocomposites

The boron-containing o-cresol-formaldehyde resin (BoCFR) and octa(aminophenyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OAP-POSS) were synthesized, and the BoCFR/OAP-POSS nanocomposite prepared via an in-situ method. The curing process of the resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The thermal properties and dynamic mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. The results show that the maximal mechanical loss temperature (T_p) increased with increasing OAP-POSS content. When the content of OAP-POSS was 10 wt% the T_p was over 200°C, 27°C higher than the pure BoCFR. The BoCFR/OAP-POSS nanocomposite had better thermal stablitity than the pure BoCFR. The residual weight of the o-cresol-formaldehyde resin was only 6.13 wt% at 600°C. But the residual weight of the pure BoCFR was 55.73 wt% at 600°C, and the residual weights of the BoCFR nanocomposites were all higher than pure BoCFR. The residual weight of the BoCFR nanocomposite was 63.2 wt% at 600°C and 21.83 wt% at 900°C when the OAP-POSS content was 10 wt%. The weight loss of BoCFR/OAP-POSS nanocomposite can be divided primarily into two temperature stages, from 430°C to 550°C and from 550°C to 900°C. The main thermal degradation reaction follows first order kinetics.     

Effect of surface treatment of nanoclay on the mechanical properties of epoxy/glass fiber/clay nanocomposites

A new method of silane treatment of nanoclays is reported where in the clay is nanodispersed in hydrolyzed silanes. The surface functionalization of Cloisite^® 15A nanoclay has been carried out using two different silane coupling agents: 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane and 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxy silane using varied amounts of silane coupling agents, e.g. 10, 50, 200, and 400 wt% of clay. The surface modification of Cloisite^® 15A has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The modified clays were then dispersed in epoxy resin, and glass fiber-reinforced epoxy clay laminates were manufactured using vacuum bagging technique. The fiber-reinforced epoxy clay nanocomposites containing silane modified clays have been characterized using small angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The results indicate that the silane treatment of nanoclay aided the exfoliation of nanoclay and also led to an increase in mechanical properties. The optimized amount of silane coupling agents was 200 wt%. The nanocomposites containing clay modified in 200 wt% of silanes exhibited an exfoliated morphology, improved tensile strength, flexural modulus, and flexural strength. The improved interfacial bonding between silane modified nanoclays and epoxy matrix was also evident from significant increase in elongation at break.     

The Role of Organoclay on Microstructure Development and Rheological Properties of Poly(Butylene Terephtalate)/Epoxy/Organoclay Hybrid Systems

The main objective of the present work was to study the role of organoclay on the microstructure development and rheological properties of poly(butylene terephtalate)/ epoxy/organoclay (Cloisite® 30B) hybrid nanocomposites. The effects of feeding order and curing of the epoxy were also investigated. The hybrid nanocomposite samples were prepared by melt compounding in a laboratory internal mixer at a temperature of 240°C. The samples were prepared by three feeding routes; (1) simultaneous feeding, (2) PBT/organoclay based master batch feeding, and (3) epoxy/organoclay based master batch feeding. The XRD results evidenced a highly intercalated microstructure for all the samples. The linear viscoelastic results obtained for uncured samples, prepared by the first and second feeding routes, exhibited a pronounced low-frequency nonterminal behavior whose extent was found to be increased in the cured samples. These results suggested that the major part of the nanoclay tactoids and/or platelets were dispersed in the PBT matrix, with higher nanoclay concentration in the sample prepared by the second feeding route. However, the samples prepared through epoxy/organoclay based master batch did not exhibit an appreciable low-frequency solid body response. This suggests that the process of migration of the nanoclay tactoids and/or platelets from epoxy droplets to PBT matrix was the time consuming process due to the high aspect ratio of the nanoclay and the high viscosity of the PBT matrix. From linear and nonlinear viscoelastic measurements, it could be deduced that the curing process does not play an important role in determining the extent of intercalation and dispersion of the nanoclay, but it can enhance the interfacial interaction between the two phases in the nanocomposite.     

片层硅酸盐用于热固性PU/PLS复合可能性探讨

高岭土(Kaolinite)和蒙脱土(Montromollite)等粘土,被广泛用作添加剂来改善聚合物的耐热性能。文章用各种先进技术对高岭土与蒙脱土的形态、组成和结构进行表征比较。电子透射电镜及电子探针(TEM/EDX)结果显示高岭土较蒙脱土有较大的粒径和较小的硅铝比,TEM还显示出这些粘土是由片层粒子堆积而成。热重分析(TGA)的结果表明蒙脱土由于失去吸附水从60 ℃升温至90 ℃失重明显(约7%),而高岭土在此温度下几乎不失水。高岭土脱除结构羟基官能团脱水失重的温度大约在510 ℃,低于蒙脱土的670 ℃。室温下光声傅里叶变换(PAS-FTIR)红外光谱显示蒙脱土在羟基吸收区有较强的吸附水的吸收,1 650 cm-1处孤立的弱吸收谱带可给予左证。变温红外和TGA的结果显示,片层硅酸盐表面的结构羟基从100～500 ℃非常稳定,它可以和异氰酸酯基团(NCO)封端的预聚物反应形成热固性PU/PLS复合聚合物。     

Parametric Studies on the Grafting of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) onto Organophilic Montmorillonite Using Silylated Clay Platelets

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/organophilic montmorillonite (Cloisite 30B) nanocomposites were synthesized by the chemical grafting of PMMA onto Cloisite 30B via solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with vinyl-modified organoclay. The effects of different parameters such as clay weight percent (CWP), solvent per monomer volume ratio, and dispersion time on the properties of the PMMA grafted Cloisite 30B were investigated using the Taguchi experimental design method. This method gives a much-reduced variance for the experiments with optimum setting of control parameters and provides a set of minimum experiments compared to the conventional methods. Qualitative evidence for the chemical grafting of the PMMA onto Cloisite 30B was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate interlayer changes of the clay in the grafted nanoplatelets. The exfoliated/intercalated morphology of the nanocomposites was confirmed by XRD. Furthermore, thermal properties were measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Statistical analysis of results revealed that clay weight percent and solvent per monomer ratio had significant effects on the properties of final products. The percent of grafted PMMA and storage modulus of PMMA/30B nanocomposites decreased with increasing clay content due to better dispersion of the clay at lower loadings. On the other hand, because of a tendency to formation of homopolymer and oligomers at higher solvent loadings; the percent of grafted PMMA, storage modulus and glass transition temperature of PMMA/30B nanocomposites decreased with an increase in solvent per monomer volume ratio. However, the obtained PMMA/30B nanocomposites at the optimum conditions, was exhibited a higher glass transition temperature, higher storage modulus and better thermal stability than the pure PMMA.     

Studies on interface in polyester/fly-ash particulate composites

Fly ash (FA)-general purpose unsaturated polyester resin (GPR) particulate composites have been made. The effect of surface treatment of FA with two different silane coupling agents (CAs) on the mechanical properties like tensile, flexural, impact strength and hardness, thermal properties like thermal stability and morphological properties (SEM) of FA-GPR composites are studied. The properties of FA-CA-GPR are also compared with that of GPR and CaCO₃ -GPR. An enhancement in the tensile, flexural, and impact strength and moduli are observed when FA is surface treated with CA. Hardness is also found to increase with CA-treated FA-filled GPR. A suitable mechanism for the chemical reaction taking place at the interface in the presence of CAs is proposed.     

Effect of Nanoclay on the Morphology and Properties of Nylon 6 and Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) Blends

The effect of organomodified nanoclay on the morphology and properties of a (70/30 w/w) nylon 6/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend prepared by a melt processing method was investigated. The number average domain diameter (D_n ) of the dispersed PMMA phase was found to decrease with the addition of a small amount [0.5 per hundred resin (phr)] of clay in the blend. A much finer dispersion of the minor phase in the presence of a higher amount (5 phr) of clay indicated better mixing efficiency and improved morphology in the blend. X-ray diffraction indicated the exfoliation of the clays in the nylon 6 matrix, whereas PMMA chains only intercalated into the clay layers. However, the same effect of the clay was not observed in a (30/70 w/w) nylon 6/PMMA blend when nylon 6 became the dispersed domains. In the (30/70 w/w) nylon 6/PMMA blend, the addition of organomodified nanoclay (up to 2 phr) increased the D_n of the nylon 6 domains by preferential location of the clays inside the nylon 6 domains. Addition of styrene-maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer effectively reduced the D_n of disperse phases in both compositions of the nylon 6/PMMA blends. Thus, in nylon 6/PMMA blends, clay platelets could prevent the coalescence of dispersed domains during melt mixing as long as it was dispersed in the matrix phase of the blend. Mechanical properties and thermal stability of the blends were also improved in the presence of clay.     

An Insight into the Diffusion of Unsaturated Polyester (UP) Resin into Expanded Graphite (EG) to Improve the Mechanical Properties of the UP/EG Composites

Abstract

Polymer/expanded graphite (EG) nanocomposites have great importance in many industrial applications mainly due to their high electrical/thermal conductivity or flame retardancy. However, to fully employ the benefits of polymer/EG nanocomposites one must consider the high degree of porosity of EG. The high degree of porosity of EG can deteriorate the composites’ mechanical properties if the polymer chains cannot diffuse completely into the EG pores. In this article, an insight is given into the diffusion of unsaturated isophthalic polyester (UP) resin, consisting of a combination of maleic anhydride and isophthalic anhydride in the resin backbone, with two viscosities, into the pores of the EG particles of various degrees of porosity. The diffusion experiments were carried out on compressed EG tablets with the same density but different porosity due to the different porosity of the EG particles. The results showed that the diffusion rate of the UP resin with higher viscosity slightly decreased when the EG porosity decreased but, in the opposite way, it strongly increased for the low viscosity UP resin. The EG nanocomposites samples were molded at varying pressures. The micrographs of the fractured surfaces of the EG nanocomposites showed that the EG pores were not filled with resin, thus the EG nanocomposites had residual pores. It was found that composites containing EGs with higher expansion ratio and larger particles and pores showed larger residual pores. Furthermore, the composites prepared with the more viscous UP resin showed more residual pores. By applying a pressure of 10?bar instead of 1?bar, a reduction of 7–20% in the residual pores of the nanocomposites was observed which led to improved mechanical properties by up to 20% in flexural strength for the EG with the highest expansion ratio.     

The Mechanical Properties,Compatibility, and Thermal Stabilities of POE-Graft-Methyl Methacrylate and Acrylonitrile(POE-g-MAN)/ Styrene-Acrylonitrile Copolymer (SAN Resin) Blends

POE-graft-methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile (POE-g-MAN) was prepared by graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and acrylonitrile (AN) onto polyethylene-octene copolymers (POE) with suspension polymerization. POE-g-MAN/SAN resin blends (AOMS) were prepared by blending POE-g-MAN with styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN resin). The mechanical properties, compatibility, and thermal stabilities of AOMS were studied. The notched impact strength of the blends reached 54.0 kJ/m² when the AN/(MMA + AN) ratio (f_AN) of POE-g-MAN, benzoyl peroxide dosage, and POE content in AOMS were 15 wt%, 1.0 wt%, and 25 wt%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the highest toughness occurred when the size of POE-g-MAN particles and the surface-to-surface inter-particle distance were proper. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the AOMS fracture surface had plastic flow visible, which looked like a fibril morphology when the AN/(MMA + AN) ratio (f_AN) of POE-g-MAN was 15 wt%. The toughening mechanism of AOMS was shear yielding of the matrix, which endowed AOMS with remarkable toughness. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed that the compatibility of the POE phase and SAN phase improved after graft copolymerization of MMA and AN onto POE. When the grafting chain polarity was appropriate, the miscibility between POE-g-MAN and SAN resin was the best. Thermogravimetry analysis showed that thermal stability of AOMS increased with increasing AN units in POE-g-MAN.     

Two component silicone modified epoxy foul release coatings: Effect of modulus, surface energy and surface restructuring on pseudobarnacle and macrofouling behavior

Two component silicone modified epoxy resin based low surface energy and non-toxic foul release coatings were developed. Silicone modified epoxy resin with 15 and 30% silicone content was used as component A and a polyether diamine (Jeffamine-500) was used as the component B. Free standing films were prepared by casting a mixture of components A and B in stoichiometric proportions. The surface composition, surface topography and wetting properties of the coatings were studied by angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle goniometry respectively. The mechanical properties of the cured films were evaluated by tensile measurements as well as dynamic mechanical analysis. Pseudobarnacles made of aluminium studs were attached to the coated panels and adhesion tests were carried out by a pseudobarnacle tester. Coated panels were exposed in Mumbai harbor for fouling studies for a period of 90 days. Surface restructuring studies of the coatings upon immersion in seawater were carried out by measuring the changes in advancing and receding contact angles by contact angle goniometry. The effect of surface energy, modulus and surface restructuring of the coatings on the macrofouling and pseudobarnacle adhesion properties has been discussed in detail.     

Effect of disaccharide,gamma radiation and temperature on the physico-mechanical properties of jute fabrics reinforced unsaturated polyester resin-based composite

The jute fabrics reinforced unsaturated polyester resin (jute/UPR)-based composites were prepared successfully by the hand-lay-up technique. The percentage of jute fabrics was kept constant at 40% fiber (by weight). The disaccharide percentage was also kept constant at 2% (by weight), but at this percentage the mechanical properties were lower than the untreated composites. Gamma radiation dose was varied at 0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5?kGy for jute/UPR-based composites. At 5.0?kGy gamma dose highest TS, TM and Eb were obtained. The jute/UPR-based composites were treated under 30°C, 50°C and ?18°C for the measurement of mechanical properties. At low temperature (?18°C), the highest mechanical properties were observed. The water uptake properties were measured for disaccharide-treated and disaccharide-untreated composites up to 10 days, but no water was absorbed by the composites. The soil degradation test was carried out under 12 inch soil containing at least 25% water, but no significant decrease was observed for untreated and sucrose-treated composites. For the functional group analysis, FT-IR was carried out. For the fiber matrix adhesion analysis, the scanning electron microscopic image was taken.     

Preparation and Properties of Novel Inherent Flame-Retardant Cyclotriphosphazene-Containing Epoxy Resins

A novel flame-retardant cyclotriphosphazene-based epoxy resin (CPEP) was successfully prepared by epoxidation of bis-(4-hydroxyphenylsulfonylphenoxy) tetraphenoxycyclotriphosphazene with epichlorohydrin, and was characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Then the blends of CPEP and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (E51) with different mass ratios were cured using 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane as a curing agent. The curing behaviors and the glass transition temperatures of the resulting thermosets were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal stabilities and flame-retardant properties of the cured resins were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and UL94 tests, respectively. In addition, mechanical, hydrophobic, and electrical properties were also characterized. Compared to the corresponding E51-based thermosets, the cured resins with a mixture of CPEP and E51 showed better thermal stabilities, higher char yields, and greatly improved flame-retardant properties. Furthermore, relatively good mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, and electric resistance were maintained. The cured resins of CPEP/E51 (mass ratio 1:1) achieved UL94 V-0 rating, indicating that the epoxy resin prepared in this study could be used as a flame-retardant coating material.     

Structure and Properties of Polypropylene/Polyolefin Elastomer/Organic Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

The crystallinity, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of polypropylene (PP)/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) and PP/polyolefin elastomer (POE)/OMMT composites, with polypropylene-g-maleic anhydride/styrene (PPMS) as a compatibilizer for both, were compared. The results showed that the strong interaction between the clay platelets and compatibilizer, which were generated by the maleic anhydride (MAH), improved the compatibility of the polymer matrices with the OMMT. A unique lamellar, flocculated structure of OMMT was formed after introduction of the POE. The highly dispersed clay layers could act as nucleating agents, resulting in smaller spherulites and higher crystallization temperatures. Compared with pure PP, the PP/OMMT nanocomposite showed enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability; however, the PP/POE/OMMT had the best impact toughness.     

Effects of Rice Husk Derived Amorphous Silica on the Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Unsaturated Polyester Composites

Rice husk is rich in amorphous silica which has found various applications as a filler in rubbers and plastics. In the research described here silica was extracted from rice husk ash in the form of sodium silicate which was used to produced amorphous precipitated silica (PS) and silica aerogel (SA) using a sol – gel process and supercritical drying. These materials were then physically mixed with unsaturated polyester (UP) resin and cured at room temperature to form polymer composites. The experimental results showed that the UP composites with 30% (volume percent) of SA filler had lower density and better thermal insulation than the composites with the same amount of PS. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the T_onset of the PS and SA composites were slightly delayed by 15 and 10°C, respectively. The tensile stress-strain curves showed that addition of the fillers reduced the tensile strength, but increased the elastic moduli of the UP matrix. PS filled UP composites exhibit higher moduli (higher stiffness) than that of SA filled UP composites. This was due to agglomeration and poor adhesion of the SA particles to the UP matrix while better dispersion was observed for the PS filled composite.     

Ultrasound Assisted Development of Structure and Properties of Polyamide 6/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

In this paper, polyamide 6/montmorillonite nanocomposites (PA6CNs) were prepared via conventional and an ultrasonic extrusion technology developed in our laboratory. The structure and morphology of montmorillonite dispersed in conventional and ultrasonicated PA6CNs were studied by x‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results gained by XRD, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) showed that the dispersed morphology of montmorillonite plays an important role in the crystalline form, nucleation rate, crystallization temperature, crystallinity, and spherulite size of PA6 crystals. The ductility of conventional PA6CNs decreases with the addition of montmorillonite because of the presence of large, stacked montmorillonite particles. Compared with the conventional PA6CNs, the elongation at break and impact strength of the ultrasonicated PA6CN increase greatly due to the improved dispersion of montmorillonite and decreased size of spherulites, while also showing the higher yield strength. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed a decrease in thermal stability of conventional PA6CNs, with the introduction of ultrasound further accelerating thermal decomposition. A possible explanation for the observed decrease in polymer thermal stability on ultrasonic treatment is provided.