Blends of Liquid Crystalline Polyesters and Polyethylene Terephthalate - Morphological Studies

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Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was blended with two different kinds of liquid crystalline (LC) polyesters with the level of LC polyester varying from 5 to 15 weight %. Homogeneous samples were prepared by melt blending the polymers in twin screw extruder. The crystallization and morphology of these blends was studied with the help of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small angle light scattering (SALS), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarizing microscipy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. DSC studies showed that the LC polyesters increase the rate of crystallization of PET in a manner similar to that of crystalline orientation is produced in blends during extrusion under conditions which produce no orientation in PET. SEM studies on extruded strands show the presence of fibrous structures oriented along the extrusion direction. SALS and polarizing microscipy show the presence of anisotropic structures in melt quenched samples unlike the case of PET. The effect of LC polyesters on the crystallization and morphology of PET has been clearly demonstrated.

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