Interaction of anhydrous ferric chloride with nylon 6

The interaction of anhydrous ferric chloride with nylon 6 has been inferred from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermal (DSC and TGA), and rheological (Rheometrics) measurements. At very low additive concentration of ∼0.25 wt %, an about 50-fold melt viscosity increase of nylon 6 was observed. However, progressive decrease in melt viscosity was also observed with increasing additive concentrations indicative of degradation as confirmed by the enhancement of weight loss with TGA at a lower temperature. Decrease in crystallinity content of the filled nylon samples is inferred from the reduction of the melting endotherms with DSC, pronounced reduction in diffraction intensity with WAXD, an increase in amorphous CH2 bending band (1400 cm−1) with FTIR. The above results can be attributed to the strong complex formation between the FeCl3 and the NH groups as suggested by the subtraction spectra of FTIR where decreased intensities of the 690, 1200, and 1265 cm−1 bands were observed.