synopsisThe relaxation behavior of nylon 6 from 4.2 to 300'K was investigated as a function of orientation, anisotropy and moisture content by using an inverted free-oscillating torsion pendulum. Three new relaxations, 6 at 53"K, c below 4.2"K, and r at 2OoK, were discovered. The characteristics of these new relaxations strongly depend on the orientation anisotropy, and concentration of adsorbed water in the specimens. The results suggest that the mechanism of the y process is associated with the motions of both the polar and methylene units. The mechanism of the 0 relaxation is postulated to originate with motions of both non-hydrogen-bonded polar groups and polymer-water complex units. The behavior of the 01 peak is consistent with the hypothesis that it originates with the rupture of interchain hydrogen bonding due to the motions of long-chain segments in the amorphous regions. Finally, the data strongly support the proposition that two types of water, tightly bound and loosely bound, exist in nylon 6.
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