Analysis and Prediction of Creep Viscoelasticity in Nylon 6 Clay Hybrid Nanocomposites

Nylon 6 clay hybrid (NCH) is a nanocomposite of nylon 6 matrix reinforced with clay called Montmorillonite. It has characteristics of high strength, high stiffness and low gas permeability due to the dispersed Montmorillonite in nylon 6 matrix by the nanometer unit. However, methods of design and life evaluation have not been established because few studies on creep have been done. In this study, we conducted the tensile creep tests for 200 hours at room temperature using a servo-hydraulic testing machine. The creep viscoelasticity in nylon 6 clay hybrid has been analyzed and predicted by using the Burgers model and Findley power law. Both models can accurately express the creep viscoelasticity in the polymers. The simulating parameters and creep strain of each unit in Burgers model illustrated the influence of clay on the creep viscoelasticity. The creep strain predicted by the Burgers model is higher than that by the Findley power law.