Blends of new, all-aromatic liquid-crystalline polymers and poly(ethylene terephthalate)

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 40; no. 7; pp. 1781 - 1789
• Main Authors: Carpaneto, L., Lesage, G., Pisino, R., Trefiletti, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Aromatic liquid-crystalline polymers; Blends; Exact sciences and technology; Mechanical properties; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Poly(ethylene terephthalate); Properties and characterization; Aromatic liquid-crystalline polymers; Blends; Poly(ethylene terephthalate); Ethylene terephthalate polymer; Polymer blends; Property composition relationship; Thermotropic state; Mechanical properties; Benzoate(hydroxy) copolymer; Experimental study; Random copolymer; Ester copolymer; Dynamic mechanical properties; Liquid crystal polymers; Morphology; Aromatic copolymer
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/S0032-3861(98)00407-8

Thermal, mechanical, dynamical mechanical and morphological investigations are reported of two series of blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with two nematogenic random polymers synthesized in our laboratory. The nucleant effect of low amounts of the liquid-crystalline component (LCP) is evidenced by thermal analysis for both polymers. At higher LCP contents this effect disappears but a new influence on the melting enthalpy of PET emerges, although at contents of the random polymer that are remarkably different for the two series of blends. The coupling of mechanical tests with a morphological study allowed elucidation of the reinforcing mechanism of one of the nematogenic polymers and the explanation of the discontinuity in the rise of Young's modulus shown by these blends.