Impact on summation of reduced graphene oxide and compatibilization efficacy of LLDPE-g-MA on mechanical, thermal, morphological, and rheological properties of LLDPE/EVA nanocomposites.

This research work was carried out with the aim of obtaining the optimum combination of the novel linear low-density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate (LLDPE/EVA)nanocomposites by incorporation reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as reinforcement andLLDPE-g-MA as compatibilizerwith the new solution method.Different samples were synthesized by various amounts of rGO from 0.1 phr to 1 phr, 80 phr LLDPE, 5 phrLLDPE-g-MA, and 20 phr EVA.Thermal, rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties were investigated. Results showed that the modulus, elongation-at-break, and tensile strength increased significantly with the increase of rGO content in the presence of LLDPE-g-MA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that LLDPE-g-MA can cause a better dispersion of rGO in the polymeric matrix by creating an interface between LLDPE, LLDPE-g-MA, and EVA. In addition, the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed that with the increase in the amount of rGO, the particlediameter of the EVA dispersed phase decreased significantly, which is the result of the interactions between the carbonic nanofiller and the LLDPE-g-MA compatibilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]