The addition of polyamide-6 on tensile properties of carbon fibre reinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene composites

Abstract

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) terpolymer was reinforced with HNO₃-treated short carbon fibres (HCFs). The effects of HCF concentration on the tensile properties of the composites were examined. Increasing the HCF concentration in the ABS matrix from 10wt% to 30wt% resulted in improved tensile strength and tensile modulus. To obtain a strong interaction at the interface, polyamide-6 (PA6) at varying concentrations was introduced into the ABS/10wt% short carbon fibre (SCF) composite. The incorporation and increasing amount of PA6 in the composites increased tensile properties of the ABS/PA6/HCF systems because of improved adhesion at the interface, which was confirmed by the ratio of tensile strength as an adhesion parameter. These results were also supported by scanning electron micrographs of the ABS/PA6/HCF composites, which exhibited an improved adhesion between the SCFs and the ABS/PA6 matrix.