Synthesis of polyamide 6/11 copolymers and their use as matrix polymer in wood‐plastic composites

The goal of this study was to investigate the synthesis and the resulting thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of polyamide 6/11 copolymers (PA 6/11) as a function of their composition and to further investigate their usability as matrix polymers for wood‐plastic composites (WPC). A significant composition dependency of the melting temperature was found due to the hindered crystallization of the PA 6/11 copolymers with increasing content of the minor component. In result, the lowest melting temperature of the copolymers was measured at 120 °C for 40 wt % of ɛ‐caprolactam (PA 6/11‐40/60) by DSC analysis. Due to its low melting point and feasible mechanical properties, a copolyamide with 70 wt % of ɛ‐caprolactam (PA 6/11‐70/30) was chosen as matrix material for the processing of WPC. Incorporation of 30 wt % of wood fibers into PA 6/11‐70/30 caused a significant increase in tensile modulus and a decrease in tensile strength and strain at break. However, the processed WPC still showed an exceptional ductility with a strain at break of 15 to 20%. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 44155.