Development of antistatic packaging of polyamide 6/linear low-density polyethylene blends-based carbon black composites

Polyamide 6 (PA6) is a polymer largely applied in the packing industry; however, it has limitations like high water absorption, notch-sensitive impact and high electrical resistance. Some strategies have been developed aiming to improve these drawbacks, as blending PA6 with other polymers, like linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) which is also an electrical insulator. In this work, antistatic packages for the transportation and storage of electronic devices were prepared by mixing PA6 and LLDPE with the addition of carbon black as an antistatic agent to reduce the electrical resistivity of polymers. PA6/LLDPE (50/50) blend-based carbon black composites with different contents of carbon black (5, 10 and 15 wt%) were prepared in a twin screw extruder, and their mechanical, rheological, electrical and permeation properties were studied. Thereby, the effects of the addition of maleic anhydride-grafted LLDPE (LLDPE-g-MA) in the composites were also studied. The addition of LLDPE-g-MA and 5 wt% and 10 wt% of carbon black in the PA6/LLDPE blend resulted in a 130 and 150% increase in impact strength, respectively. Adding 10 wt% of carbon black in the PA6/LLDPE/LLDPE-g-MA blend increased the elastic modulus, reduced the electrical resistivity by 14 decades and also reduced the water vapor permeability, allowing this material to be eligible for use as antistatic packaging.