Preparation of glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66/ polyphthalamide blends and their automotive applications

Polyamides are widely used thermoplastic polymers having good mechanical, electrical and chemical properties. Synthesis of polyamides is based on the condensation polymerization using diamines and diacids as monomers. The use of different types of monomers enables to get polyamides with special properties. Polyamide 66 (Nylon 66) is a semi crystalline thermoplastic polymer having higher melting point than other polyamides. Moreover, it maintains its stiffness with increasing temperature. It has low friction coefficient, high stiffness, wide color options, high toughness, creep resistance, flame retardant, electrical insulation, abrasion resistance, external condition resistance and easy operation properties. Polyamides are widely used in automotive applications, such as control panel buttons, rearview mirrors, wheel covers, door handles, manifolds, connectors, fans, fan covers, radiators, tanks, and cable fasteners. Recently, they have been reinforced with glass fibers with different size and feeding ratio. Polyphthalamides are semi aromatic and semi crystalline thermoplastic polymers having high heat resistance. They can be used in chemical or high temperature conditions because of their good thermal resistance and low moisture absorption. They are used in automotive engines (fuel line connections, coil parts and cooling pumps) and aircraft motors (sleeves and rolls). Moreover, polyphthalamides are used in petrol, gasses and energy industries, such as pump wear rings. They are usually mixed with other polyamides to prepare their blends providing higher mechanical properties and lower densities. When the aromatic polyamides and aliphatic polyamides are mixed, the processability of aromatic polyamides are improved. Also polyamides and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) blends have high impact strength, chemical resistance and frictional strength. In this project, blends of 50% glass fiber reinforced polyphthalamide and polyamide 66 are prepared and their compatibility is investigated by DSC and mechanical tests. Polyphthalamide and polyamide blends are prepared by using extrusion. Finally, test samples are prepared by injection molding method. The effect of feeding rates of polymers on the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties is studied.