Nanocomposites Based on Thermoplastic Elastomeric Blends of Styrene Acrylonitrile and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate: Effect of Nature and Loading of Nanoclays and Dynamic Vulcanization

Abstract

A thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is a polymeric material having rubber-like properties as well as thermoplastic-like processability. In the present work, TPE based on 30:70 w/w styrene acrylonitrile (SAN): ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blend was prepared. To improve the strength of the material, two types of nanoclay (Cloisite NA+ and Cloisite 10A) were added to the blend. The loading of the clays was also varied. The best mechanical properties were observed with Cloisite NA+ at 4 phr loading. The results were explained with the help of a knowledge of the morphology of the nanocomposites, as studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray dot-mapping. The dynamic mechanical properties and the diffusion behaviour of acetone through the resultant nanocomposites corroborated the observations on static mechanical properties. Dynamic vulcanization significantly improved the mechanical properties.