The effect of thermoplastic elastomer on the mechanical performance and microstructural behaviour of glass bead filled nylon composite

The study of composite materials, particularly those enhanced with thermoplastic elastomers like EPDM and glass beads, is crucial as it provides valuable insights into improving mechanical properties such as impact strength and wear resistance, which are essential for various industrial applications. The aim of this thesis study was to investigate the effect of thermoplastic elastomer additive (EPDM) on the mechanical properties of glass bead filled nylon-based composite materials. Composite materials were produced by adding glass beads (5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%) as fillers to nylon-6 engineering polymers and a fixed proportion (8-12-6 wt%) of EPDM thermoplastic elastomer. The production of composite materials in granular form was carried out in an industrial twin-screw extruder. The test specimens were moulded in an injection mould prepared according to standards using an injection moulding machine. Experimental studies included physical and mechanical properties such as tensile, impact and hardness tests. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to ascertain the microstructural properties and chemical composition of the wear and fracture surface of the composites, while optical emission spectrometry was employed to extract the surface topography. The results of the experiments showed that the tensile strength, tensile modulus, hardness values of the composite materials increased with increasing glass bead filling ratio. However, impact strength and elongation at break values decreased with increasing glass bead filling ratio. With the addition of EPDM elastomer to the glass bead filled nylon polymer composite, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, hardness values of the composite materials decreased, while the impact strength and elongation at break values increased. In wear tests, friction coefficient values decreased significantly and wear resistance increased with the addition of EPDM and glass beads to PA6 polymer.