ABSTRACTThe influence of expanded graphite (EG) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) modified EG on the structure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) was investigated in this study. The EVA filled with EG platelets, with and without anionic SDS modification, was prepared by melt mixing using a Brabender Plastograph mixer. The extent of dispersion and morphology of the composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The optical microscopy results show better distribution of the modified EG platelets in the EVA matrix, while the SEM results show an improved interfacial adhesion between the polymer and the SDS‐EG particles. Both the EVA18 copolymer and the EG platelets have monoclinic phases, and both EG and SDS do not seem to have any influence on the melting and crystallization behavior of the EVA18. The addition of EG enhanced the thermal stability of EVA18, and this stabilizing influence was further improved when the EG was treated with SDS. All the tensile properties of EVA/EG improved after surface modification. The storage modulus of EVA generally increased with increasing both the unmodified EG and the SDS modified EG content. There was a shift in the Tg to higher temperatures with an increase in both the EG and modified EG content. The α‐relaxation peak in the SDS modified EG curves was less intense than the β‐relaxation peak, even for the untreated EG composites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41352.