EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

New challenges related to the development of sustainable transportation solutions demand innovative high performance lightweight materials, as composites. Due to its recyclability, thermoplastic matrices are preferred. In addition to the recyclability advantage, thermoplastics have higher impact strength and ductility than thermosets [1].
Polyamide 6 (PA6) produced from anionic ring opening polymerization (AROP) of the low viscosity monomer ε-caprolactam (ε-CL) has been used for fabrication of lightweight composite parts [2]. One of the most suitable technologies for processing PA6 by AROP is thermoplastic resin transfer moulding (T-RTM). This process offers a significantly fast reaction rate, reducing the production cycle time. This technology is a natural evolution of the traditional low pressure resin transfer moulding [1]–[4].
This work focuses the synthesis of PA6 with different catalyst and activator dosage levels using a T-RTM prototype equipment. The properties of PA6 produced by T-RTM were analysed as function of catalyst and activator content. The results demonstrate the influence of catalyst and activator content in the final properties and highlight the importance of optimizing the dosage levels in order to maximize the physicochemical properties of PA6.

[1] O. V. Semperger and A. Suplicz, “The Effect of the Parameters of T-RTM on the Properties of Polyamide 6 Prepared by in Situ Polymerization,” Materials (Basel)., 13, p. 4, 2020.
[2] T. Ageyeva, I. Sibikin, and J. Karger-Kocsis, “Polymers and related composites via anionic ring-opening polymerization of lactams: Recent developments and future trends,” Polymers (Basel)., 10, p. 357, 2018.
[3] N. Zaldua et al., “Nucleation and crystallization of PA6 composites prepared by T-RTM: Effects of carbon and glass fiber loading,” Polymers (Basel)., 11, p. 1680, 2019.
[4] R. Boros, I. Sibikin, T. Ageyeva, and J. G. Kovács, “Development and Validation of a Test Mold for Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Molding of Reactive PA-6,” Polymers (Basel)., 12, p. 976, 2020.