▎ 摘　　要

System integration and multifunctionality requirements of high-performance materials in the transportation sector are pushing manufacturers to search for advanced functional polymers that are easy to recycle, cost-effective and not energy intensive. This study reports, for the first time, an advanced and lightweight functional nanocomposite material with higher thermal deformation resistance and thermomechanical properties than those of conventional polyolefins used in the aforesaid sector. This unique material consists of a biphasic polyolefin system, with Polyethylene (PE) being the macro phase and Polypropylene (PP) being the micro phase, and a novel surface-active nanostructured functional graphene, which thermodynamically co-locate itself at the interface of the PE/PP binary system, thanks to our proposed strategic mixing mechanism. It is proven that the targeted interfacial localization of the novel functional nanolayered graphene promoted a nucleation-controlled PE crystallization, as demonstrated by optical microscopy and studies on macro phase non-isothermal crystallization kinetics. This justifies the remarkable enhancement of nanocomposite's thermo-mechanical properties, leading to the potential use of this new functional material as a lightweight thermoplastic olefinic nanocomposite in the above-mentioned industrial sector. Lastly, the outcome of this study opens new avenues in the applications of advanced, lightweight, and functional polyolefin-based materials for diverse applications, increasing the environmental footprint. (C)2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.