In this study, graphite oxide (GO) is synthesized from natural graphite flakes by the modified Hummers method. Characterization by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray photoelectron, Raman and ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis is conducted on GO to confirm the oxidation of graphite. Unplasticized and glycerol plasticized chitosan/graphene oxide (CS/GO) nanosheets nanocomposites with different GO loadings are prepared by solution casting. The combined effect of GO and glycerol on structure, thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposite films is studied. GO nanosheets are well dispersed throughout the CS matrix due to the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between CS and GO nanosheets. The incorporation of GO within the CS matrix results in a decrease of the crystallinity, an improvement of thermal stability, and a significant enhancement of the stiffness and tensile strength that is emphasized by the glycerol. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45092.

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Summary: Polyamide (PA6) and poly(propylene) (PP) blends offer a good opportunity for the development of materials with new properties when they are made compatible, because they combine the thermomechanical properties of the PA6 and the easy processing of poly(propylene). [1][2][3][4][5] Moreover, in recent years has successfully managed to synthesize various types of composites based on clay with a polymer matrix. The aim of this work has been the incorporation of the clay in PA and PP blends to study the effect of its incorporation to establish a correlation between the morphology of the blends with the thermal and mechanical properties. To improve the incompatibility between the PA and the PP has been necessary to introduce a graft poly(propylene) -maleic anhydride compatibilizer (PP-g-AM). [6][7][8] In addition we have studied the incorporation of recycled PP in the system and the results were similar to those obtained with non-recycled poly(propylene).