Hybrid silicate nanofillers: Impact on morphology and performance of EVA copolymer upon in vitro physiological fluid exposure

Ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers are recyclable plastics with exceptional biocompatibility, thus they are potent candidate materials for biomedical applications. In this study, improvement in the EVA biostability was aimed by the incorporation of hybrid nanofillers. EVA copolymer incorporating 3 wt % organically modified montmorillonite/bentonite (OMMT/Bent) hybrid nanofillers in different ratios (3:0, 2.75:0.25, 2.5:0.5, 2.25:0.75, 2:1 and 0:3 in wt %) were prepared by melt compounding process and then analyzed for their biostability upon in vitro physiological fluid exposure. Results indicated that the addition of OMMT_2.75/Bent_0.25 hybrid nanofillers can reduce the degradation of the EVA copolymer under physiological fluid environment through hydrophilic bentonite–vinyl acetate interactions. The obtained nanocomposite material achieved the best retention in tensile and thermal properties upon 4 weeks exposure in the in vitro physiological fluid. The findings indicate the potential of using the hybrid OMMT/Bent nanofillers for biostability enhancement of the EVA while reducing the nanocomposite production costs through the addition of cheaper natural bentonite as co‐nanofiller with the OMMT. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44640.