Four kinds of ethylene-proplene-diene/maleic anhydride compatibilized polyamide 6/polypropylene samples were prepared with different mixing sequences and showed significant differences in the Izod impact strength. The morphological features of these samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, and a heterogeneous dispersion of the compatibilizer in the injection-molded samples was observed; this was related to the shear field in the skin and subskin layers during injection. A parameter, the transfer energy, is put forward to interpret the dispersion of the compatibilizer in the injection-modeled blens, and the results show that the transfer energy is a key factor in determining the transfer of the compatibilizer. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 113: 299-305, 2009