Abstract: | The mechanical properties and morphological structures of blends based on Zn2+ neutralized low degree sulfated ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (Zn–SEPDM) ionomer and polypropylene (PP) were studied. It was found that Zn2+ neutralized low degree sulfated EPDM ionomer and PP blends, which are new thermoplastic elastomeric materials, have better mechanical properties than those of PP/EPDM blend. Theoretical analysis of tensile data suggests that there is an increase of the extent of interaction between PP and EPDM in the presence of a low degree of Zn2+, which is also an indicator of better interfacial adhesion between PP and Zn–SEPDM than that between PP and EPDM. SEM results proved that the finer dispersed phase sizes and the shorter interparticle distances are the main reasons for the improved mechanical properties of the PP/EPDM blend. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1504–1510, 2004 |