The thermo-oxidative degradation of unstabilized polyamide 6 (PA-6) was investigated by a number of novel techniques in an attempt to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the oxidative degradation of polymers. Particular attention was given to the influence of end groups on PA-6 oxidation by studying samples that terminated predominantly in carboxylic, amine or methyl end groups. The changes occurring in the oxidative stabilities and mechanisms of PA-6 as a result of altering the end groups of PA-6 were investigated by a technique termed CL-DSC, which simultaneously measures the chemiluminescence (CL) and heat flow (DSC) from a sample. When amine end groups were abundant in the PA-6 sample a chemically induced electron exchange luminescence (CIEEL) mechanism could occur directly and the CL intensity was proportional to the heat flow curve of the DSC. However, when amine end groups were absent it was the first derivative of the CL intensity that was proportional to the heat flow curve because the CIEEL mechanism could not operate until an easily oxidisable luminescent oxidation product was formed. Due to the dramatic effect end groups have on the oxidation mechanisms of PA-6 it was hypothesized that end groups could be sites analogous to the impurities in polyolefins that lead to heterogeneous oxidation. To test this hypothesis, CL Imaging was used to map the occurrence and extent of oxidation across samples of PA-6 to display the influence end groups have on the homogeneous or heterogeneous nature of PA-6 oxidation. Sequences of FTIES spectra collected at specified time intervals during the in situ oxidation of PA-6 samples terminating in the different end groups were turned into oxidation product profiles. The differences between spectra related to significant points on the oxidation profiles were compared in an attempt to elucidate the chemical or physical changes occurring in the samples during oxidation. To identify the species involved in the mechanistically different oxidation processes resulting from the different end groups, methods for the MALDI-TOF analysis of non-oxidized and oxidized PA- 6 samples were developed via trial and error. It was only possible to detect the occurrence of degradation products by MALDI-TOF MS after considerable oxidation as measured by chemiluminescence, by which time the species were the result of a number of oxidative processes. Therefore, identification of the species formed was not possible.

Neste trabalho estudou-se o comportamento reológico e morfológico da mistura polimérica imiscível de polipropileno e poliamida. Como resultado deste estudo obtiveram-se valores de tensão interfacial entre 10mN/m e 13mN/m. A tensão interfacial diminuiu em até 87% quando a mistura é compatibilizada com polipropileno maleado. A análise morfológica no regime de viscoelasticidade linear quando avaliada uma morfologia de emulsão de poliamida em polipropileno revelou diâmetro médio da fase dispersa entre 1,5µm e 20µm. O diâmetro das gotas da fase dispersa diminuiu com a adição de polipropileno maleado chegando a reduções de até 98%, mantendo-se constante a concentração da fase dispersa. No regime de viscoelasticidade não linear foram testados modelos para avaliar o comportamento da mistura em fluxos de cisalhamento e extensão, sendo que somente para os fluxos de extensão foi obtida boa correlação dos resultados experimentais com as previsões teóricas. / Rheological and morphological behaviour of polypropylene and polyamide polymer blend was studied. The values of interfacial tension were obtained between 10mN/m and 13mN/m. The interfacial tension decreased in 87% for compatibilized blend. Morphology analysis for linear viscoelastic regime shows dispersed drop diameter between 1,5µm and 20µm. The diameter of the drops decreased with the addition of maleic polypropylene reducing until 98%, keeping constant the concentration of the disperse phase. In non linear viscoelastic regime different models were tested to evaluate the behavior of the blends in shear and elongacional flows. However, only the elongacional flow results were acquired with theoretical - experimental corroboration.

Neste trabalho estudou-se o comportamento reológico e morfológico da mistura polimérica imiscível de polipropileno e poliamida. Como resultado deste estudo obtiveram-se valores de tensão interfacial entre 10mN/m e 13mN/m. A tensão interfacial diminuiu em até 87% quando a mistura é compatibilizada com polipropileno maleado. A análise morfológica no regime de viscoelasticidade linear quando avaliada uma morfologia de emulsão de poliamida em polipropileno revelou diâmetro médio da fase dispersa entre 1,5µm e 20µm. O diâmetro das gotas da fase dispersa diminuiu com a adição de polipropileno maleado chegando a reduções de até 98%, mantendo-se constante a concentração da fase dispersa. No regime de viscoelasticidade não linear foram testados modelos para avaliar o comportamento da mistura em fluxos de cisalhamento e extensão, sendo que somente para os fluxos de extensão foi obtida boa correlação dos resultados experimentais com as previsões teóricas. / Rheological and morphological behaviour of polypropylene and polyamide polymer blend was studied. The values of interfacial tension were obtained between 10mN/m and 13mN/m. The interfacial tension decreased in 87% for compatibilized blend. Morphology analysis for linear viscoelastic regime shows dispersed drop diameter between 1,5µm and 20µm. The diameter of the drops decreased with the addition of maleic polypropylene reducing until 98%, keeping constant the concentration of the disperse phase. In non linear viscoelastic regime different models were tested to evaluate the behavior of the blends in shear and elongacional flows. However, only the elongacional flow results were acquired with theoretical - experimental corroboration.

Ces travaux de thèse portent sur l’étude et l’optimisation des propriétés interfaciales verre/PA 6-6 pour la conception de matériaux composites de structure. Une méthode visant à nettoyer et réactiver la surface du verre a dans un premier temps été développée. Elle permet de travailler avec des substrats de type fibres ou substrats modèles (plaques de verre) et d’obtenir des surfaces « contrôlées » avant l’application de nouveaux revêtements. La maîtrise de l’interface entre renfort et matrice nécessite l’optimisation de l’ensimage, dont les principaux constituants sont des agents filmogènes et des agents de couplage. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons donc étudié les propriétés thermiques, mécaniques et de surface des nouveaux revêtements appliqués sur les substrats de verre. Différents agents filmogènes, sélectionnés pour être compatibles avec les conditions de mise en oeuvre du PA 6-6, ainsi que deux agents de couplages usuels ont été étudiés. Par le choix d’une large gamme de familles d’agents filmogènes, nous avons montré que l’utilisation d’un agent filmogène de composition chimique proche de celle de la matrice permet d’atteindre de meilleures propriétés interfaciales. L’augmentation de la rugosité de surface du revêtement contribue également à cette amélioration. Le greffage des agents de couplage sur le verre s’est révélé bien plus efficace avec un traitement thermique à 150°C qu’à 110°C et un effet de synergie a pu être observé lors de leur association avec un agent filmogène. L’utilisation d’agents filmogènes à haute résistance thermique a permis d’obtenir des propriétés interfaciales très intéressantes, renforcées pour certains systèmes par l’ajout de nanoparticules. Enfin, afin d’accéder à une estimation de la ténacité de l’interface, un test de DCB en mode I a été adapté à notre problématique. Les résultats obtenus ont été complémentaires à ceux obtenus par les tests du plot et de la microgoutte / This work is devoted to the study and optimisation of glass/PA 6-6 interfacial properties for the conception of structural composite materials. A method to clean and reactivate glass surface was first developed. It allowed us to work with glass fibres and model substrates (glass plates), aiming to get controlled surfaces before the application of new coatings. Controlling the interface between the reinforcement and the matrix requires the optimisation of the sizing, which is mainly composed of film formers and coupling agents. This study consisted in the characterisation of thermal, mechanical and surface properties of the new coatings applied to the glass substrates. Different film former bases, selected for their compatibility with the processing conditions of PA 6-6, and two usual coupling agents were studied. This work allowed to identify different parameters that play a role in the improvement of interfacial properties. By working with a wide range of film formers, we could show that the use of a film former with close chemical composition from the matrix allows to reach better interfacial properties. Increasing the surface roughness of coatings also participates in this improvement. The grafting of coupling agents was more efficient after 150°C thermal treatment than 110°C, and a synergistic effect was obtained by their association to a film former. The use of film formers with high thermal resistance provided very interesting interfacial properties, also improved, for some, by the addition of silica nanoparticles. Finally, DCB mode I mechanical test was adapted to our system, allowing to estimate the fracture toughness of the glass/PA 6-6 interface which is a complementary result to the estimation of the adhesion force measured by pull-off and pull-out tests