Influence of an interfacial agent on the structure of polypropylene-polyamide fibres

In this paper the structure and properties of fibres prepared from the polypropylene/polyamide (PP/PA6) blend have been studied as a function of the interfacial-agent (IFA) content. For this purpose the grafted polypropylene-maleic anhydride copolymer was used. Fibres containing 20% of PA6 and 80% of PP possess the phase matrix-fibril structure. The size and distribution of fibres in the dispersed PA6 phase in the PP matrix depend on the interfacial-agent amount. Due to the indirect nucleating effect the PA6 phase has been found to act, in the presence of the interfacial agent, on the PP crystallization during fibre formation. As a result, undrawn fibres have the more pre-oriented and crystalline PP matrix with the morphological rod-like structure. The pre-orientation of the dispersed fibrilar PA6 phase is minimum. Mechanical properties of the drawn blended fibres are favourably influenced provided that the interfacial-agent concentration is higher than 1%. The growing rate of the mutual interaction between the components was mostly reflected in the increased values of Young's modulus.