Description
Mechanical recycling serves as a viable approach to enhance the sustainability of engineering thermoplastics, yet repeated processing can impact their microstructure and mechanical properties. This research examines how graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) affect the structural and mechanical characteristics of polyamide 6 (PA6) during successive mechanical recycling. Both pure PA6 and PA6 with GNPs underwent several melt-recycling cycles and were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile testing. FTIR analysis indicated that neither the chemical structure of neat PA6 nor that of the GNP-filled nanocomposite experienced significant changes after repeated recycling, suggesting no formation of new chemical degradation products. DSC findings revealed a steady increase in crystallinity with recycling, with the GNP-filled nanocomposite consistently exhibiting higher crystallinity than neat PA6. SEM observations showed no notable morphological degradation after repeated recycling. Mechanical tests indicated that adding GNPs significantly enhanced the elastic modulus compared to neat PA6, although there was a decrease in strain at break due to the increased stiffness from the rigid graphene nanoplatelets. These results highlight that GNPs effectively reinforce PA6, preserving its structural integrity and mechanical performance during repeated mechanical recycling, thereby supporting its potential for sustainable engineering applications.