Enhancing the Effect of Vitamin E in Stabilizing Polypropylene Against Thermo‐Oxidation by Co‐Adding Natural Attapulgite

ABSTRACT The development of green and effective stabilization systems for polymers remains a critical challenge. This work investigates the synergistic stabilization of polypropylene (PP) using a fully natural combination of vitamin E (VE) and attapulgite (ATP) clay. PP samples with 0.1 wt% VE alone had an oxidation induction time (OIT) of 7.3 min, while co‐adding 0.1 wt% ATP extended the OIT to 13.9 min. The VE/ATP combination also effectively improved processing stability during multiple extrusion cycles and markedly retarded both carbonyl formation and surface cracking during accelerated aging at 120°C. Comprehensive characterization, including spectroscopic and thermal analyses, confirmed the physical adsorption of VE molecules onto ATP, which likely contributes to the enhanced stabilization by mitigating VE migration and prolonging antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrate a promising and sustainable strategy for enhancing the long‐term durability of PP using an entirely natural additive combination.