| Abstract: | In this study, polypropylene (PP) was reinforced using 1 wt% organically modified‐grafted mica (OMGM) and various levels of Cloisite15A (C15A), 0–3 wt%. For OMGM preparation, polypropylene graft maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) was grafted onto diacetone acryl amid modified mica. The results showed the highest impact strength enhancement of 68% and Young's modulus of 12% for hybrid nanocomposite containing 1 wt% OMGM and 0.5 wt% C15A when compared to neat PP. In order to considerably improve the impact strength of PP with advantage of elastic modulus enhancement, PP was melt blended with above‐mentioned amounts of OMGM and C15A and different contents of ethylene‐1‐butene copolymer (EBR), 0–10 wt%. The dispersion of low‐ and high‐aspect ratio layered silicate tactoids and EBR nanoparticles in the polymer matrix was studied using transmission electron microscopy. The effect of EBR level on the crystallization behavior, tensile properties, impact strength, and fracture toughness of the resultant toughened hybrid nanocomposite was investigated. The presence of EBR nanoparticles did not show any sufficient effect on the melting and crystallization temperatures of the toughened PP and hybrid nanocomposites. However, the impact results indicated that the addition of EBR to neat PP remarkably increased the toughness while sharply decreased its Young's modulus. The incorporation of 7 wt% EBR in the hybrid nanocomposite containing 1 wt% OMGM and 0.5 wt% C15A considerably enhanced impact strength 119% and 30% in comparison to neat PP and its hybrid nanocomposite, respectively. Additionally, the incorporation of EBR nanoparticle in the presence of the silicate layered nanoparticles prevented significant decreasing in Young's modulus of the matrix. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:117–126, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers |
