Influence of Polyamide 6,6 Molecular Mobility on Mechanical Behavior

This chapter focuses on the effect of the amorphous phase of polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6) on the barrier and mechanical properties. It describes how the nature of a solvent conditions its sorption and its plasticizing effect on PA6,6. To study the sorption of a series of pure solvents and mixtures of solvents, as well as their effect on the molecular mobility of the amorphous phase and on the crystalline structure, a standard non-additivated and unloaded PA6,6 has been considered. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction are used to characterize the crystalline phase of the samples. The chapter investigates the effects of introducing an additive or a chemical modification of PA6,6 on the polymer structure and properties. A thermodynamic approach was proposed for the study and understanding of the sorption of ethanol-toluene-isooctane ternary mixtures and their plasticizing effect on PA6,6.