Interfacial Interactions in Polypropylene−Organoclay−Elastomer Nanocomposites: Influence of Polar Modifications on the Location of the Clay

A detailed, chemically sensitive study of the morphology of nanocomposites prepared by melt blending of polypropylene (PP) reinforced with an organically modified nanoclay (montmorillonite 20A) and toughened with poly(styrene-b-ethylenebutylene-b-styrene) (SEBS) is reported. Polar functionalities were incorporated in two ways: (i) additional compatibilizers: polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) and PP surface modified by N2-plasma …