Effects of Few Layered Graphene on Microstructure and Properties of Dynamically Vulcanized Nanocomposite Thermoplastic Elastomer Based on Polypropylene/Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer

Thermoplastic vulcanized (TPV) nanocomposites were prepared in a laboratory mixer using EPDM,polypropylene, graphene and a sulfur-based curing system. Based on the obtained results from wide X-ray diffraction (WAXD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM),the microstructure of the prepared nanocomposites was found to be sensitive to the graphene content.WAXD and TEM images of the TPV nanocomposites showed that graphene was exfoliated and randomly distributed into the polypropylene phase. The SEM photomicrographs of the dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer samples showed that the rubber particles were dispersed through the polypropylene phase in form of aggregates and their size decreased with the introduction of clay