Preparation and properties of composites of Kevlar-Nomex copolymer and boehmite

A new organic-inorganic hybrid material was prepared by incorporating boehmite into a Kevlar-Nomex copolymer via a sol-gel process. Poly(phenylene-terephthalamide) chains having aminophenyltrimethoxysilane end groups were prepared by reacting a mixture of m- and p-phenylenediamine with terephthaloyl chloride, followed by end-capping with aminophenyltrimethoxysilane. The hydrolysis of the alkoxy groups of an aluminium sec-butoxide solution in butanol was carried out in the polymer matrix, thus creating an inorganic network structure combined chemically with the aramid chains. Hybrid materials containing different proportions of boehmite in aramid were thus produced and films were cast by solvent evaporation technique. These films with up to 15 wt.-% of boehmite were yellow and transparent, whereas the films with 20 wt.-% or more contents of boehmite were opaque. Mechanical properties of these films were analyzed. The values of tensile strength, initial modulus, toughness and maximum strain at rupture were initially found to increase and then decrease with further addition of boehmite. The tensile modulus of the hybrid material was found to be in the range of 3.0-4.5 GPa at 25 degrees C. These ceramers were found to withstand maximum tensile stress of the order of 252 MPa, and the thermal decomposition temperature was around 450 degrees C. The storage modulus as measured using DMTA was in the range of 7.6-18.9 GPa. The tan delta peak which in general became broader with increasing boehmite content showed a shoulder for composites containing large amounts of boehmite. The position of the peaks shifted towards high temperature with the increase in the inorganic contents showing hindrance in motion with increasing boehmite contents.