Nanocomposite matrix for increased fibre composite strength

A new type of three-phase thermoplastic composite has been made, consisting of a main reinforcing phase of woven glass or carbon fibres and a PA6 nanocomposite matrix. Nanocomposites have the potential to improve the matrix dominated flexural and compressive strength by increasing the matrix modulus. Good quality fibre composites have been made with several types of PA6 nanocomposite and unfilled PA6 in combination with glass and carbon fibre reinforcement. Flexural tests on commercial PA6 fibre composites have shown the decrease of the flexural strength upon increasing temperature and this has been compared with the decrease of the matrix modulus. The nanocomposites used in this research have moduli that are much higher than unfilled PA6, also above T_g and in moisture conditioned samples. The strength of glass fibre composites can be increased by more than 40% at elevated temperatures and the temperature range at which a certain minimum strength is present can be increased by 40-50 °C. Carbon fibre composites also show significant improvements at elevated temperatures, although not at room temperature. The advantage of the use of nanocomposites instead of other polymers to improve the fibre composite properties is that the properties can be improved without any change in the processing conditions.