Polyamide 11 Composites Reinforced with Diatomite Biofiller—Mechanical, Rheological and Crystallization Properties

Abstract

Amorphic diatomaceous earth is derived from natural sources, and polyamide 11 (PA11) is produced from materials of natural origin. Both of these materials show a low harmfulness to the environment and a reduced carbon footprint. This is why the combination of these two constituents is beneficial not only to improve the physicochemical and mechanical properties of polyamide 11 but also to produce a biocomposite. For the purpose of this paper, the test biocomposite was produced by combining polyamide 11, as well as basic and pre-fractionated diatomaceous earth, which had been subjected to silanization. The produced composites were used to carry out rheological (melt flow rate-MFR), mechanical (tensile strength, bending strength, impact strength), crystallographic (X-ray Diffraction-XRD), thermal and thermo-mechanical (differential scanning calorimetry–DSC, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis–DMTA) analyses, as well as a study of hydrophobic–hydrophilic properties of the material surface (wetting angle) and imaging of the surface of the composites and the fractured specimens. The tests showed that the additive 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) acted as an agent that improved the elasticity of composites and the melt flow rate. In addition, the produced composites showed a hydrophilic surface profile compared to pure polylactide and polyamide 11.

Hybrid Green Materials Obtained by PCL Melt Blending with Diatomaceous Earth

“…Diat particles are quite polydisperse in size and typically measure between 3 and 200 µm [ 5 ]. Diatomaceous earth can be used for numerous applications, including as a carrier for controlled release of functional drugs [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], adsorbent material for remediation [ 9 , 10 ] and reinforcement filler for polymers [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. The literature reports that the mechanical properties of several polymers (polylactic acid [ 11 ], polyetherimide [ 12 ] and polyamide [ 13 ]) can be improved by dispersing Diat particles within the polymeric matrices.…”