Synergistic Enhancement of Morphological, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties in Hybrid PA6 / EPDM ‐g‐ MA / EPDM Nanocomposites Through Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide Integration

ABSTRACT Nanofillers of graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and their hybrid are suitable options for preparing nanocomposites of polyamide 6 (PA6)/EPDM rubber blend matrices. Although polyamides are known as engineering polymers with outstanding properties, the disadvantage of brittleness is not hidden from any engineer, so they are often modified with rubber particles such as EPDM rubber. To enhance the compatibility of phases and improve the effectiveness of graphene nanofillers, a maleated anhydride compatibilizer known as EPDM‐g‐MA was utilized. Good agreement was established between the microscopic, mechanical, dynamic‐mechanical, thermal, shape memory, rheological, and stress relaxation results, and the synergistic effect of the two graphene‐based nanofillers and the effect of the compatibilizer to create compatibility among the different components of the nanocomposite were confirmed. The presence of only 0.8 phr of graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide hybrid, along with the compatibilizer, reduced the dispersed rubber phase size of the compound more than three times compared to the blend without nanofiller, which resulted in a larger contact surface, stronger interactions, and therefore improved thermal, mechanical, shape memory, and rheological properties.