Structural and chemical modification of polycaprolactam with a composite based on a polyfluorinated telomeric alcohol

Abstract

The influence exerted on the supramolecular structure and properties of polycaprolactam by new composites based on 1,1,5-trihydroperfluoro-1-pentanol immobilized on montmorillonite support, introduced into the polymer melt, was studied. As found by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, the layered structure of the fluorinated organoclay undergoes delamination in the bulk of the polymer matrix with the formation of an exfoliated nanocomposite. The modifier exerts a complex effect on the caprolactam structure, consisting in changes in the size of supramolecular formations and redistribution of the fraction of α- and γ-crystalline forms, which favors enhancement of the thermal oxidation resistance of the material.