Abstract
Plasma-polymerized organic nucleating agents were prepared so as to induce the formation of a transcrystalline layer for improving the interfacial shear strength of glass fibre reinforced nylon 6-6. Four organosilicon monomers were plasma polymerized onto the glass fibre surfaces to act as nucleating agents. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to investigate the thermal stability of these plasma polymers. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the glass fibres treated with these plasma polymers, and static and dynamic contact angle measurements were used to investigate their surface free energy. In addition a micro-bond pull-out test was introduced to measure the improvement in interfacial shear strength after treatment with these plasma polymers. The results indicate that the plasma polymers were durable in molten nylon 6-6 (265 °C), and three of them (polymers of hexamethyldisilazane, hexamethyldisiloxane and tetramethylsilane) formed particle-like layers and induced a transcrystalline layer to form, which increased the interfacial shear strength by 147%, 127% and 106%, respectively, to attain values 105%, 89% and 72% higher than those of samples treated with coupling agent only.