Preparation and properties of polysiloxane grafting multi‐walled carbon nanotubes/polycarbonate nanocomposites

Carboxyl multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs‐COOH) were grafted by diaminopropyl terminated dimethylpolysiloxane (DPD) to the modified MWNTs‐COOH (MWNTs‐DPD). The surface structure and thermal stability of MWNTs‐DPD and MWNTs‐COOH were characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Then PC/MWNTs‐COOH and PC/MWNTs‐DPD nanocomposites were prepared by the solution method and melt extrusion method. The mechanical properties, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TGA, limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 test, and permittivity test were used to evaluate the properties of the composites. The results showed that the MWNTs‐DPD was dispersed well in the PC matrix, and its tensile strength, flexual strength, flexural modulus, and flame retardancy were better than that of PC/MWNTs‐COOH. MWNTs‐DPD can improve the electrical properties of the nanocomposites at the low loading in PC. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of non‐destructive amido group functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and their application in antistatic and thermal conductive polyetherimide matrix nanocomposites

Thermal conductive and antistatic polyetherimide (PEI) nanocomposites were fabricated by encapsulating non‐destructive amido group functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the PEI matrix. Briefly, nearly half of acyl chloride groups in poly (acryloyl chloride) reacted with sodium azide and formed acyl azide groups, which could conjunct with MWCNTs via non‐destruction nitrenes addition reaction. The remaining acyl chloride groups in poly (acryloyl chloride) hydrolyzed into carboxyl groups, therefore COOH‐rich MWCNTs (MWCNTs@azide polyacrylic acid) were synthesized without serious damage to the MWCNTs. Then, MWCNTs@azide polyacrylic acid were then reacted with p‐Phenylene diamine (PPD) and transformed to amido group functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNTs@PPD). MWCNTs@PPD could participate into the in situ polymerization of PEI matrix, where the conjunction between bisphenol A dianhydride and amido groups on MWCNTs@PPD guaranteed the strong covalent bonding at the PEI/MWCNTs interface, which directly avoided the aggregation of MWCNTs. Owing to the non‐destructive modification of MWCNTs and tight matrix/filler interface, the volume electric and thermal conductivity of as‐prepared nanocomposites was up to 6.4 × 10^?8 S/cm (1.0 wt%, MWCNTs@PPD) and 0.43 W/(m · K) (4.0 wt%, MWCNTs@PPD), respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polystyrene‐wrapping multi‐walled carbon nanotubes obtained via simple physical modification of melt mixing

Melt mixing with a polymer is a novel strategy to modify the surface property of carbon nanotube (CNT) conveniently and efficiently. In melt mixing process, the shearing and thermal issues can make polymer component wrapped around nanotubes via π–π stacking interaction. In this study, polystyrene‐coated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was achieved through simple melt mixing of polystyrene with MWNTs. PS and MWNTs were first melt mixed at various melt time and temperatures to find the optimum condition for preparing of PS‐coated MWNTs. Subsequently, the stability of polystyrene interacted with MWNTs was estimated via ultrasonication and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Finally, the physically modified MWNTs were used to enhance polystyrene. An obvious mechanical reinforcement can be achieved, which approves a huge potential of application of these modified MWNTs in practical composite products. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complementary effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and conductive carbon black on polyamide 6

This article introduces a newly innovative idea for preparation of superconductive ternary polymeric composites of polyamide 6 (PA6), conductive carbon black (CCB), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with different weight ratios by a melt‐mixing technique. The complementary effects of CCB and MWCNTs at different compositions on rheological, physical, morphological, thermal, and dynamic mechanical and electrical properties of the ternary composites have been examined systematically. We have used a novel formulation to produce high‐weight fraction ternary polymer composites that show extremely higher conductivity when compared with their corresponding binary polymer composites at the same carbon loading. For example, with an addition of 10 wt % MWCNTs into the CCB/PA6 composite preloaded with 10 wt % CCB, the electrical conductivity of these ternary composites was about 5 S/m, which was 10 times that of the CCB/PA6 binary composite (0.5 S/m) and 125 times that of the MWCNT/PA6 binary composite (0.04 S/m) at 20 wt % carbon loading. The incorporation of the MWCNTs effectively enhanced the thermal stability and crystallization of the PA6 matrix in the CCB/PA6 composites through heterogeneous nucleation. The MWCNTs appeared to significantly affect the mechanical and rheological properties of the PA6 in the CCB/PA6 composites, a way notably dependent on the MWCNT contents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1203–1212, 2010     

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes encapsulated with polyurethane and its nanocomposites

Poly(acryloyl chloride) (PACl) was employed to enhance the surface of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). MWCNTs were first acid treated to generate hydroxyl groups on the surface, which was reacted with PACl to obtain an encapsulation. The numerous acryloyl chloride groups on the out layer were esterified with a proper amount of ethylene glycol (EG). Subsequently, 4,4′‐methylenebis (phenylisocyanate) (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) were introduced into the system, and a polyurethane (PU) layer was formed in situ. The formation of PU layers on MWCNTs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). The morphology of encapsulated MWCNTs was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the grafted polymer fraction was up to 90%. On introducing the modified MWCNTs into a PU matrix, an increase in tensile strength by 60.6% and improvement in modulus by 6.3% over neat PU was observed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4857–4865, 2008     

Polymorphism of nylon‐6 in multiwalled carbon nanotubes/nylon‐6 composites

The effects of pristine and amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the crystallization behaviors of nylon‐6 were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate the presence of polymorphism in nylon‐6 and its composites, which is dependent on the MWNTs concentration and the cooling rate. More MWNTs and slow cooling from the melt favors the formation of α crystalline form. With the increase in cooling rates, the crystallinity of neat nylon‐6 decreases, and that of the composites decreases initially but increases afterward. Moreover, the degree of crystallinity of the composites is higher than neat nylon‐6 under high cooling rates, counter to what is observed under low cooling rates. The heterogeneous nucleation induced by MWNTs and the restricted mobility of polymer chains are considered as the main factors. Furthermore, addition of MWNTs increases the crystallization rate of α crystalline form but amino‐functionalization of MWNTs weakens this effect. The influence of thermal treatment on the crystalline structure of MWNTs/nylon‐6 composites is also discussed. A γ–α phase transition takes place at lower temperature for MWNTs/nylon‐6 composites than for nylon‐6. The annealing peaks of the composites annealed at 160 °C are higher than that of neat nylon‐6, and the highest annealing peak is obtained for amino‐functionalized MWNTs/nylon‐6 composites. This phenomenon is closely related to the different nucleation and recrystallization behaviors produced by various MWNTs in confined space. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1499–1512, 2006     

Comparative study of poly(L‐lactide) nanocomposites with organic montmorillonite and carbon nanotubes

Organic montmorillonite (OMMT) and the one‐dimensional functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) were introduced into poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) to prepare PLLA/OMMT and PLLA/FMWCNT nanocomposites, respectively. The effects of nanofillers on melt crystallization and cold crystallization of PLLA were comparatively investigated by using polarized optical microcopy, differential scanning calorimetry and wide angle X‐ray diffraction. The results show that FMWCNTs exhibit higher nucleation efficiency for the melt crystallization of PLLA, whereas OMMT is the better one for the cold crystallization of PLLA. Rheological properties show that both OMMT and FMWCNTs at relatively higher concentrations can form the percolated network structure in the PLLA matrix, however, the latter nanocomposites exhibit relatively denser or more compact percolated networks. The difference of the networks between OMMT and FMWCNTs is suggested to be the main reason for the different cold crystallization behaviors observed in the PLLA/OMMT and PLLA/FMWCNT nanocomposites. The dynamic mechanical analysis measurements show that OMMT is the better one to improve the stiffness of the nanocomposites in the present work. The thermogravimetric analysis measurements show that FMWCNTs have higher efficiency in improving the thermal stability of PLLA compared with OMMT. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Modeling adsorbate‐induced property changes of carbon nanotubes

Because of their potential for chemical functionalization, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising candidates for the development of devices such as nanoscale sensors or transistors with novel gating mechanisms. However, the mechanisms underlying the property changes due to functionalization of CNTs still remain subject to debate. Our goal is to reliably model one possible mechanism for such chemical gating: adsorption directly on the nanotubes. Within a Kohn–Sham density functional theory framework, such systems would ideally be described using periodic boundary conditions. Truncating the tube and saturating the edges in practice often offers a broader selection of approximate exchange–correlation functionals and analysis methods. By comparing the two approaches systematically for NH₃ and NO₂ adsorbates on semiconducting and metallic CNTs, we find that while structural properties are less sensitive to the details of the model, local properties of the adsorbate may be as sensitive to truncation as they are to the choice of exchange–correlation functional, and are similarly challenging to compute as adsorption energies. This suggests that these adsorbate effects are nonlocal. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Extraction of ochratoxin A in red wine with dopamine‐coated magnetic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes

A new, rapid, green, and cost‐effective magnetic solid‐phase extraction of ochratoxin A from red wine samples was developed using polydopamine‐coated magnetic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes as the absorbent. The polydopamine‐coated magnetic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes were fabricated with magnetic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and dopamine by an in situ oxidative self‐polymerization approach. Transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry were used to characterize the absorbents. Ochratoxin A was quantified with high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection, with excitation and emission wavelengths of 338 and 455 nm, respectively. The conditions affecting the magnetic solid‐phase extraction procedure, such as pH, extraction solution, extraction time, absorbent amount, desorption solution and desorption time were investigated to obtain the optimal extraction conditions. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction recovery was 91.8–104.5% for ochratoxin A. A linear calibration curve was obtained in the range of 0.1–2.0 ng/mL. The limit of detection was 0.07 ng/mL, and the limit of quantitation was 0.21 ng/mL. The recoveries of ochratoxin A for spiked red wine sample ranged from 95.65 to 100.65% with relative standard deviation less than 8%. The polydopamine‐coated magnetic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes showed a high affinity toward ochratoxin A, allowing selective extraction and quantification of ochratoxin A from complex sample matrixes.     

Surface modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and Nafion nanocomposite membranes for use in fuel cell applications

The preparation and characterization of the nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membranes, based on Nafion, sulfonated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT‐SO₃H) and imidazole modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT‐Im), for direct methanol fuel cell applications is described. The results showed that the modification of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with proton‐conducting groups (sulfonic acid groups or imidazole groups) could enhance the proton conductivity of the nanocomposite membranes in comparison to Nafion 117. Regarding the interactions between the protonated imidazole groups, grafted on the surface of MWCNT, and the negatively charged sulfonic acid groups of Nafion, new electrostatic interactions can be formed in the interface of the Nafion and MWCNT‐Im, which result in both lower methanol permeability and higher proton conductivity. The physical characteristics of these manufactured nanocomposite membranes were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water uptake, methanol permeability, and ion exchange capacity, as well as proton conductivity. The Nafion/MWCNT‐Im membranes showed the higher proton conductivity, lower methanol permeability, and, as a consequence, a higher selectivity parameter in comparison to the neat Nafion or Nafion membrane containing MWCNT‐SO₃H or ─OH functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT‐OH) membranes. The obtained results indicated that the Nafion/MWCNT‐Im membranes could be used as efficient polyelectrolyte membranes for direct methanol fuel cell applications.     

Determination of multi‐pesticide residue in tobacco using multi‐walled carbon nanotubes as a reversed‐dispersive solid‐phase extraction sorbent

A multi‐pesticide residue determination method based on a modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as reversed‐dispersive solid‐phase extraction material was validated in 37 representative pesticides in tobacco. Determination was performed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Three major types of tobacco leaf samples, namely, flue‐cured, burley, and oriental tobacco were studied and compared. Three factors (extraction time, external diameter, and amount of extraction material used) that could affect the performance of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes were investigated. Optimization of sample preparation and determination allowed recoveries between 70.8 and 114.8% for all 37 pesticides with < 20.0% relative standard deviations at three spiking levels of 20, 50, and 200 μg/kg. The limits of quantification and limits of detection for the 37 pesticides ranged within 0.46–28.57 and 0.14–8.57 μg/kg at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 10 and 3, respectively.     

Structure‐property relationships in exfoliated polyisoprene/clay nanocomposites

Structure‐property relationships in exfoliated polyisoprene (PI)/clay nanocomposites have been studied as a function of the clay concentration with rheometry, X‐ray diffraction, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The results presented here indicate that the interlayer spacing of layered silicates increases from 2 to at least approximately 14 nm because of the penetration of polymer molecules into the spacing between the silicate layers. The average aspect ratio (width/thickness) of the dispersed nanoplates is also estimated to be at least approximately 80. Additionally, the storage modulus of the nanocomposite exhibits frequency‐independent pseudo‐solidlike behavior above the percolation threshold [volume fraction of clay at the percolation threshold (?_p) = 0.02] and shows large enhancements (up to approximately six orders of magnitude) in comparison with the storage modulus of PI when the volume fraction of clay (?) is greater than ?_p. For the shear‐aligned PI/clay nanocomposites, an increase in the storage modulus with shear alignment is observed at ? < ?_p, whereas a decrease in the storage modulus is observed for ? > ?_p. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1000–1009, 2004     

Structure–property co‐relationship of fluorinated poly(imide‐siloxane)s

Eight poly(imide‐siloxane)s co‐polymers have been prepared by one pot solution imidization method. The polymers are synthesized by the reaction of bisphenol‐A‐dianhydride (BPADA) with fluorinated diamine 4,4′‐bis(3″‐trifluoromethyl‐p‐aminobiphenyl ether) biphenyl, and aminopropyl‐terminated polydimethylsiloxane (APPS). The polymers are synthesized by varying the siloxane loading to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 wt%, respectively. Thermal, mechanical, rheological, and dielectric properties of these polymers have been evaluated with respect to siloxane loading. The polymers showed glass transition temperature of 107–203°C and tensile strength at break of 24–75 MPa depending on siloxane loading. The elongation break of the polymers ranges from 24 to 144% depending on siloxane loading. The amounts of char residue in the polymers have been correlated with incorporated siloxane in the polymer by NMR techniques. The polymers showed very low water absorption and dielectric constant as low as 2.43 when the siloxane loading is 40 wt%. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isothermal crystallization kinetics of polypropylene with silane functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were functionalized with a silane coupling agent. The MWNTs were first coated with inorganic silica by a sol‐gel process and then grafted with 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (3‐MPTS). The effect of raw MWNTs and silane‐functionalized MWNTs on the crystallization behavior of poly(propylene) (PP) was investigated by means of polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Results obtained from isothermal crystallization experiments indicate that 3‐MPTS functionalization affects the crystallization and melting behavior of PP/MWNTs composites remarkably, which can be attributed to the fact that 3‐MPTS functionalization of MWNTs leads to a uniform dispersion of MWNTs in PP matrix resulting in the good nucleating effect of MWNTs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1616–1624, 2007     

Thermal degradation behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyamide 6 composites

This paper focuses on the thermal degradation behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/polyamide 6 (PA6) composites under air and nitrogen atmosphere using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show that the dispersion of amino-functionalized MWNTs (f-MWNTs) in PA6 is more homogeneous than purified MWNTs (p-MWNTs). The presence of MWNTs improves the thermal stability of PA6 under air obviously, but has little effect on the thermal degradation behavior of PA6 under nitrogen atmosphere. The activation energies for degradation under air, E_a, estimated by Kissinger method, are 153, 165 and 169 kJ/mol for neat PA6, p-MWNTs/PA6 and f-MWNTs/PA6 composites, respectively. The p-MWNTs/PA6 composites show two-step degradation not only under air but also under nitrogen atmosphere, however, neat PA6 and the f-MWNTs/PA6 composites exhibit two-step degradation only under air.     

Surface functionalization of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes through surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate

Herein, we report the fabrication of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymeric conjugates of shortened multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (sMWCNT). The synthesis method involves the attachment of initiator on the surface of nanotubes followed by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) of GMA from the initiator‐bound sMWCNT surface. This is achieved by the procedure consisting of three important steps: introduction of amino groups onto the sMWCNT and attachment of polymerization initiator, 2‐bromo‐2‐methylpropinonyl bromide, and polymerization of GMA. The structure and properties of the resultant polymeric conjugates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and SEM. The FT‐IR analysis of polymeric conjugates shows infrared (IR) peaks characteristic of GMA. AFM, TEM and SEM images clearly show the formation of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)(PGMA) polymer on sMWCNT surface. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crystallization behavior and thermal property of biodegradable poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite

Biodegradable poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (f‐MWNTs) nanocomposite was prepared in this work by solution casting method at 2 wt% f‐MWNTs loading. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations indicate a homogeneous distribution of f‐MWNTs in the PHB matrix. Nonisothermal melt crystallization, overall isothermal melt crystallization kinetics, and crystalline morphology of neat PHB and the PHB/f‐MWNTs nanocomposite were studied in detail. It is found that the presence of f‐MWNTs enhances the crystallization of PHB during nonisothermal and isothermal melt crystallization processes in the nanocomposite due to the heterogeneous nucleation effect of f‐MWNTs. Moreover, the incorporation of a small quantity of f‐MWNTs apparently improves the thermal stability of the PHB/f‐MWNTs nanocomposite with respect to neat PHB. Two methods are employed to study the activation energies of thermal degradation for both the neat PHB and the PHB/f‐MWNTs nanocomposite. The activation energy of thermal degradation of the PHB/f‐MWNTs nanocomposite is higher than that of neat PHB. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Melt‐crystallization mechanism of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes prepared by in situ polymerization

A series of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PET/MWCNTs) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization using different amounts of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The polymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was carried out by the two‐stage melt polycondensation method. The intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the composites is ranged between 0.31 and 0.63 dL/g depending on the concentration of the MWCNTs. A decrease of IV was found by increasing MWCNTs content. This is due to the reactions taking place between the two components leading to branched and crosslinked macromolecules. These reactions are, mainly, responsible for thermal behavior of nanocomposites. The melting point of the nanocomposites was shifted to slightly higher temperatures by the addition till 0.55 wt % of MWCNTs while for higher concentration was reduced. The degree of crystallinity in all nanocomposites was, also, reduced by increasing MWCNTs amount. However, from crystallization temperature, it was found that MWCNTs till 1 wt % can enhance the crystallization rate of PET, whereas at higher content (2 wt %), the trend is the opposite due to the formation of crosslinked macromolecules. From the extended crystallization analysis, it was proved that MWCNTs act as nucleating agents for PET crystallization. Additionally, the crystallization mechanism due to the existence of MWCNT becomes more complicated because two mechanisms with different activation energies are taking place in the different degrees of crystallization, depending on the percentage of MWCNT. The effect of molecular weight also plays an important role. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1452–1466, 2009     

Synthesis of water‐soluble single‐walled carbon nanotubes and its application in poly(vinyl alcohol) composites

A new type of water‐soluble single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was synthesized by grafting of dodecyl quaternary ammonium bromides. Results of Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses confirmed the successful synthesis. Water‐soluble performance of functionalized SWNTs, i.e. N⁺‐SWNTs, has been studied in terms of solubility and stability. It was found that the solubility could reach up to 110 mg.l^?1 and as‐prepared solution possesses a good stability over the PH range of 6.87–11.25. Based on these properties, one of the important applications of N⁺‐SWNTs was demonstrated to prepare poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites. Owing to critical issues of uniform dispersion and enhanced interfacial PVA‐nanotube interaction having been simultaneously resolved to a reasonable extent, the composite film with only 0.3 wt% N⁺‐SWNTs showed an increase of 33% and 32% in tensile strength and Young's modulus, respectively, over neat PVA film. Moreover, a high optical quality and slightly increased glass transition temperature were also observed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water‐assisted melt compounding of nylon‐6/pristine montmorillonite nanocomposites

An exploratory pioneering study on the fabrication of nylon‐6/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites with the aid of water as an intercalating/exfoliating agent via melt compounding in a twin‐screw extruder was conducted. Commercial nylon‐6 pellets and pristine MMT powder were directly fed into the hopper of the extruder. Water was then injected into the extruder downstream. After interactions with the nylon‐6 melt/pristine MMT system, water was removed from the extruder further downstream via a venting gate. As such, no third‐component residual was left within the extrudates. Transmission electron microscopy micrographs showed that pristine MMT was uniformly dispersed in the nylon‐6 matrix. The contact time between water and the nylon‐6/pristine MMT system inside the extruder was so short that nylon‐6 was subjected to very little hydrolysis, if any. The resultant nanocomposites showed higher stiffness, superior tensile strength, and improved thermal stability in comparison with their counterparts obtained without water assistance and the nylon‐6/organic MMT nanocomposites. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1100–1112, 2005