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Impact behavior of CNT-filled PP/EPDM blends: effect of dynamic vulcanization and PP-g-MA compatibilizer

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Abstract

The impact strength and crystallite structure of un-vulcanized and dynamically vulcanized polypropylene/ethylene-propylene terpolymer (PP/EPDM) blends and polypropylene/ethylene-propylene terpolymer/carbon nanotube (PP/EPDM/CNT) blend nanocomposites with and without maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) were studied. The results showed that incorporation of EPDM increased the impact toughness of PP matrix by promoting debonding and cavitation of rubber particles. Dynamic vulcanization increased the interfacial adhesion leading to superior impact strength. Incorporation of CNT into PP/EPDM blends changed the crystallization behavior of the PP matrix and further increased the impact resistance. Morphological observations on impact-fractured surfaces indicated that dominant failure modes of CNTs in blend nanocomposites with and without PP-g-MA are pulling out and breakage of nanotubes, respectively. While the PP-g-MA had a negative effect on the impact strength of PP, the results demonstrated that its presence enhanced the impact strength of the blends and blend nanocomposites mostly via enhancing the adhesion between the PP and EPDM particles and improving the dispersion of CNTs in the matrix, respectively. The former decreases the rubber particle size and the latter decreases the size of CNT aggregates and crystallites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Polymeric Materials, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand New Town, 51335-1996, Tabriz, Iran

    Mehrdad Khodabandelou & Mir Karim Razavi Aghjeh

  2. Faculty of Polymer Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand New Town, 51335-1996, Tabriz, Iran

    Mehrdad Khodabandelou & Mir Karim Razavi Aghjeh

Authors
  1. Mehrdad Khodabandelou
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  2. Mir Karim Razavi Aghjeh
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Correspondence to Mir Karim Razavi Aghjeh.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. We (authors) trust that the manuscript is within the scope of “Polymer Bulletin” journal and your audience will benefit from and will contribute to its progress. We hereby declare that the manuscript has not been published (partly or in full) elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal, and its publication is approved by all authors, and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work is carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere including electronically in the same form, in English or in any other languages, without the written consent of the copyright-holder.

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Khodabandelou, M., Razavi Aghjeh, M. Impact behavior of CNT-filled PP/EPDM blends: effect of dynamic vulcanization and PP-g-MA compatibilizer. Polym. Bull. 73, 1607–1626 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-015-1566-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-015-1566-2

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