Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:25:54.609Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of strain hardening on the elastic properties and normalized velocity of hybrid UHMWPE–nylon 6–SWCNT nanocomposites fiber

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2012

Mujibur R. Khan*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968
Hassan Mahfuz
Affiliation:
Ocean & Mechanical Engineering Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Theodora Leventouri
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: mrkhan2@utep.edu
Get access

Abstract

Hybrid ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene–nylon 6–single-wall carbon nanotube fibers were processed using solution spinning method. Elastic properties and normalized velocity ($\root 3 \of \Omega $) of the hybrid fibers were measured before and after strain hardening through repeated loading–unloading cycles. Phenomenal improvement in the properties was found: strength, modulus, and normalizing velocity increased by almost one order of magnitude after strain hardening. Neat and reinforced filaments were characterized through differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope before and after strain hardening. It has been revealed that nylon 6 contributed to the deformation ability of the composite fiber, while carbon nanotubes contributed to the sharing of load as they aligned during extrusion and strain hardening processes. Important morphological features determining the fiber properties were the change in crystallinity and rate of crystallization, formation of microdroplets, interfacial sliding, polymer coating of nanotubes, alignment of polymer fibrils and nanotubes.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Jacobs, M.J.N. and Dingenen, J.L.J.: Ballistic protection mechanisms in personal armour. J. Mater. Sci. 36, 31373142 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grujicic, M., Glomski, P.S., He, T., Arakere, G., Bell, W.C., and Cheeseman, B.A.: Material modeling and ballistic-resistance analysis of armor-grade composites reinforced with high-performance fibers. J. Mater. Eng. Perform. 18, 11691182 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phoenix, S.L. and Porwal, P.K.: A new membrane model for the ballistic impact response and V50 performance of multi-ply fibrous systems. Inter. J. Solids Struct. 40, 67236765 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lane, R.A.: High performance fibers for personnel and vehicle armor systems. AMPTIAC Quarterly 9(2), 39 (2005).Google Scholar
Mahfuz, H., Adnan, A., Rangari, V.K., and Jeelani, S.: Manufacturing and characterization of carbon nanotube/polyethylene composites. Int. J. Nanosci. 4(1), 5572 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahfuz, H., Adnan, A., and Rangari, V.K.: Enhancement of strength and stiffness of nylon 6 filaments through carbon nanotubes reinforcement. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 083119 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruan, S.L., Gao, P., and Yu, T.X.: Ultra-strong gel-spun UHMWPE fibers reinforced using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Polymer 47, 1604 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samad, M.A. and Sinha, S.K.: Mechanical, thermal and tribological characterization of a UHMWPE film reinforced with carbon nanotubes coated on steel. Tribol. Int. 44, 19321941 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mierczynska, A., Mayne-L’Hermite, M., Bioteux, G., and Jeszka, J.: Electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube/ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene composites prepared by a filler prelocalization method. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 105, 158168 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, M.R., Mahfuz, H., Leventouri, Th., Rangari, V.K., and Kyriacou, A.: Enhancing toughness of low-density polyethylene filaments through infusion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. Polym. Eng. Sci. 51(4), 654662 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurtz, S.M., Muratogiu, O.K., Evans, M., and Edidin, A.A.: Advances in the processing, sterilization, and crosslinking of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for total joint arthroplasty. Biomater 20, 1659 (1999).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miri, V., Persyn, O., Lefebvre, J.M., and Seguela, R.: Effect of water absorption on the plastic deformation behavior of Nylon 6. Eur. Polym. J. 45, 757762 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, L.Y., Warren, G.L., Davis, D., and Sue, H.J.: Nylon toughened epoxy/SWCNT composites. J. Mater. Sci. 46, 207214(2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, J., Zhao, B., Itkis, M., Bekyarova, E., Hu, H., Kranak, V., Yu, A., and Haddon, R.: Chemical engineering of the single-walled carbon nanotube-nylon 6 interface. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 74927496 (2006).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCarthy, B., Coleman, J.N., Curran, S.A., Dalton, A.B., Davey, A.P., Konya, Z., Fonseca, A., Nagy, J.B., Blau, W.J.: Observation of site selective binding in a polymer nanotube composite. J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 19(24), 22392241 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Naffakh, M., Marco, C., and Gomez, M.A.: Crystalline transformations in nylon-6/single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 9, 61206126 (2009).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, H.R.: Studies of orientation and structure of crazed matter in polystyrene. I. Optical measurements. J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Phys. Ed. 17, 1417 (1979).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinloch, A.J. and Young, R.J.: Fracture Behaviour of Polymers (Elsevier Applied Science, London, 1988).Google Scholar
Zhao, C., Hu, G., Justice, R., Schaefer, D.W., Zhang, S., Yang, M., and Han, C.C.: Synthesis and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced polyamide 6 via in situ polymerization. Polymer 46, 5125 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patil, N., Balzano, L., Portale, G., and Rastogi, S.: Influence of shear in the crystallization of polyethylene in the presence of SWCNTs. Carbon 48, 41164128 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowling, N.E.: Mechanical Behavior of Materials (Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2007).Google Scholar
Mahfuz, H., Khan, M.R., Leventouri, Th., and Liarokapis, E.: Investigation of MWCNT reinforcement on the strain hardening behavior of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. J. Nanotechnol. Article ID 637395, doi:10.1155/2011/637395, 1–9 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Favis, B.D.: The effect of processing parameters on the morphology of an immiscible binary blend. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 39, 285 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wong, W.F. and Young, R.J.: Analysis of the deformation of gel-spun polyethylene fibers using Raman spectroscopy. J. Mater. Sci. 29, 510519 (1994)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prasad, K. and Grubb, D.T.: Direct observation of taut tie molecules in high-strength polyethylene fibers by Raman spectroscopy. J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Phys. Ed. 27, 381 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kip, B.J., Van Eijk, M.C.P., and Meier, R.J.: Molecular deformation of high-modulus polyethylene fibers studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy. J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Phys. Ed. 29, 99 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, A., Young, R.J., and Halsall, M.: Investigation into the deformation of carbon nanotubes and their composites through the use of Raman spectroscopy. Composites Part A. 32, 401411 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, Y. and Young, R.J.: Microstructure and mechanical properties of pitch-based carbon fibers. J. Mater. Sci. 29, 4027 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Socrates, G.: Infrared and Raman Characteristic Group Frequencies Tables and Charts, 3rd ed. (John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex, UK, 2001).Google Scholar
Stuart, B.H.: Polymer crystallinity studied using Raman spectroscopy. Vib. Spectrosc. 10, 7987 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemanich, R.J. and Solin, S.A.: Observation of an anomalously sharp feature in the 2nd order Raman spectrum of graphite. Solid State Commun. 23(7), 417 (1977).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemanich, R.J. and Solin, S.A.: First- and second-order Raman scattering from finite-size crystals of graphite. Phy. Rev. B 20, 392 (1979).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dresselhous, M.S., Pimenta, M.A., and Eklund, P.C.: In Raman Scattering in Material Science. (Springer, Berlin, 2000).Google Scholar