Tensile tests were conducted on nylon 6/clay nanocomposites, with and without POE-g-
MA rubber particles, over a range of temperatures below the glass transition and strain rates 10-4 to
10-1 s-1. It was shown that the yield strength varied with temperature and strain rate as the Eyring
equation thus providing results on activation energy and activation volume for the physical
mechanisms involved in these processes. Additionally, the tensile dilatometric responses indicated
that the presence of POE-g-MA rubber particles did not alter the shear deformation mode of neat
nylon 6. In contrast, the presence of clay layers changed the tensile yield deformation of nylon 6
from the more deviatoric plasticity to the more dilatational plasticity. In nylon 6/clay/POE-g-MA
ternary nanocomposite, the volume strain response showed that POE-g-MA rubber particles
promoted shear deformation and clay layers delamination was suppressed at yield.
Probing polymer chain constraint and synergistic effects in nylon 6-clay nanocomposites and nylon 6-silica flake sub-micro composites with nanomechanics