Effect of commercial clays on the properties of SEBS/PP/oil thermoplastic elastomers. Part 1. Physical, mechanical and thermal properties

Thermoplastic elastomers based on SEBS/PP/oil blends show good flexibility at low temperatures, allowing complex shapes molding with good finishing. In this study, three different commercially available clays were used as fillers in these blends through melt mixing processes to produce clay polymer nanocomposites (CPN) with improved thermal and mechanical properties. The physicomechanical properties, melt flow index, density and thermal stability of the materials were studied. It was found that optimum concentration was 2 phr for all fillers. At this concentration, the mechanical properties reached a maximum while higher filler loading proved to be less beneficial. CPN prepared with Novaclay, a Brazilian clay organically modified with silane, showed the best properties, reaching 60% increase of mechanical resistance in comparison to the non-modified TPE matrix.