Construct the relationship of the interface structure-properties for TPV via micromechanical method based on cohesive zone model

It is well accepted that thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) combine the appealing recyclability of thermoplastics with the mechanical robustness when compared to traditional rubbers. However, the compatibility between heterogeneous materials has a significant impact on the high-performance TPV. This work demonstrates a novel representative volume element (RVE) model via the cohesive zone model for TPV based on polypropylene (PP)/ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) blends. Considering the material characteristics, both the elastic and elastic-plastic interface types have been employed to establish this RVE model. The model indicates that the elastic-plastic interface model could provide a better description for the mechanical behavior of this TPV. Finally, a bivariate partial dependence plot for TPV has been obtained via the simulation result, illustrating the influence mechanism between the interface structure-properties for TPV. Moreover, the universality of this impact mechanism was validated in a PA6/EPDM-based TPV system. This work could provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing interface compatibility and implementing controllable performance for TPV.