Polyacrylamide brushes with varied morphologies as a tool for control of the intermolecular interactions within EPDM/MVQ blends

Abstract The specific interactions between polyacrylamide brushes composed of polyacrylamide chains tethered to montmorillonite particles (Mt-g-PAm) and the individual components of immiscible ethylene-propylene-diene modified with sorbic acid (EPDM) and methyl vinyl silicone (MVQ) blends were studied. The effect of various lengths of PAm chains and their grafting density on montmorillonite (Mt) surface was investigated. It was determined that, due to interactions generated within the system through carboxyl and amide groups the brush particles were selectively located at the EPDM/MVQ interphase and in the EPDM phase. Furthermore, the longer PAm chains resulted in an increase of the glass transition of EPDM, unification of blend morphology, and the reduction of crystallinity of the MVQ phase. Therefore, precisely designed polymer brushes could be considered as novel functional compatibilizers, that provide a new tool for the future material designing.