Crystallization behavior of nylon 11/montmorillonite nanocomposites under annealing

Abstract

Abstract Exfoliated nylon 11/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared via in situ polymerization by the dispersion of organically modified MMT in 11‐aminoundecanoic acid monomer. The polymorphic behavior of the nylon 11/MMT nanocomposites was investigated with X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflectance. MMT induced and stabilized the δ‐crystalline form of nylon 11. The crystal structure of nylon 11 was transformed from a hexagonal δ‐form structure to a triclinic α‐form structure during the annealing process. Meanwhile, the hydrogen bonds in the nanocomposites also exhibited some differences from neat nylon 11 after annealing. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5483–5489, 2006