Due to its mechanical and physical qualities, including great strength, durability, resistance to chemicals and high temperatures, nylon is a material that is frequently utilized. However, it has significant drawbacks that restrict its use in specific industries, including as brittleness and poor impact strength. Toughening chemicals are added to nylon to circumvent these restrictions, greatly enhancing its mechanical qualities.
Fillers or reinforcements called toughening agents are applied to a polymer matrix to enhance its mechanical qualities. To boost its strength and stiffness, nylon is frequently reinforced with fibers or particle fillers like glass, carbon, or talc. The toughness of nylon is not considerably impacted by these reinforcements, though. To get over this restriction, the nylon matrix is given toughening additives such elastomers and thermoplastic rubber (TPR).
Elastomers generally have rubber-like particles distributed within a nylon matrix. These particles absorb energy and stop cracks from spreading when exposed to a high-stress environment, increasing the durability of nylon. Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), carboxyl terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN), and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber are the three most often utilized elastomers for toughening nylon.
TPR, on the other hand, is a thermoplastic substance with characteristics resembling those of rubber. It is simple to combine with nylon to create a composite material that is more durable. The toughness, impact strength, and elongation at break of nylon are all enhanced by the addition of TPR. Styrene-block copolymers (SBCs), thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs), and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are the TPRs that are most frequently used to toughen nylon.
In the nylon matrix, elastomers and TPRs create a network of microdomains that serves as a toughening agent by soaking up energy and halting crack spread. The nylon composite’s level of toughness is determined by the size and distribution of these microdomains. In general, hardness increases with smaller, more evenly distributed microdomains.
Nylon can also be strengthened with substances other than elastomers and TPRs. To increase the toughness of nylon, for instance, core-shell polymers are employed to create a hard core and a soft shell. Furthermore, by establishing a network of nanoparticles that prevents fracture propagation, nanofillers including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and clay can further improve the toughness of nylon.
In order to enhance nylon’s mechanical qualities, particularly its toughness and impact strength, toughening chemicals are added. The most popular toughening agents for this purpose are elastomers and TPRs because they create a network of microdomains that absorb energy and stop fracture development. The amount of toughness of the nylon composite is greatly influenced by the size, shape, and distribution of these microdomains. To improve the mechanical qualities of nylon, other types of toughening agents, such as core-shell polymers and nanofillers, can also be utilized. Nylon may be utilized in many industries, including as the automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods, by adding toughening chemicals.
