Properties of bio-based polymer nylon 11 reinforced with short carbon fiber composites

In this work, micro-composite materials were produced by incorporating 3-mm long reclaimed short carbon fibers into bio-based nylon 11 via melt compounding. A systematic fiber length distribution analysis was performed after the masterbatching, compounding and an injection moulding processes using optical microscopy images. It was found that the large majority of the fibers were within the 200-300 μm in length range after the injection moulding process. The mechanical (flexural and tensile), thermo-mechanical, and creep properties of the injection moulded materials are reported. We found that an enhancement in flexural and Young's modulus of 25% and 14%, respectively, could be attained with 2 wt% carbon fiber loading whilst no significant drawback on the ductility and toughness of the matrix was observed. The creep resistance and recovery of the nylon 11, tested using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis at room temperature and 65°C, was significantly improved by up to 30% and 14%, respectively, after loading with carbon fiber. This work provides an insight into the property improvement of the bio-based polymer nylon 11 using a small amount of a reclaimed engineered material. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers.