Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Polyamide-6 Composites Reinforced with Fir Flour/SiO2Hybrid Material

Fir flour/SiO2 hybrid material (FSHM) was fabricated by Sol-gel infiltration process. The morphology and structure were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composites of polyamide-6 (PA6) reinforced with FSHM were prepared by melt-mixing in twin-screw extruder. Part of FSHM was treated with γ-aminopropyltriethyoxysilane or epoxy resin as compatibilizer. Tensile strength of the composites with 25 wt.% of FSHM increased by almost 23.3% compared to that of pure PA6, whereas 59.8% increase in flexural strength was observed. Both compatibilizers improved interfacial adhesion between FSHM and PA6, resulting in increased impact strength of the composites.