Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.64, No.4, 707-715, 1997
Crystallization Kinetics of Compatibilized Blends of a Liquid-Crystalline Polymer with Polypropylene
Blends of a maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (m-PP) and a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) based on a copolyester of hydroxynapthoic acid and hydroxybenzoic acid were fabricated. The morphology and isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics behavior of the m-PP copolymer and m-PP/LCP blends were investigated using polarizing optical microscopy, depolarized light intensity, and differential scanning calorimetry. A polarizing optical micrograph revealed that the m-PP is very effective to promote a finer dispersion of the LCP phase in the PP matrix. Consequently, the LCP domains or fibrils acted as potential sites for the spherulite nucleation. The isothermal kinetics measurements also indicated that the rate of crystallization is enhanced in the maleated PP/LCP blends which exhibit transcrystallinity. In general, the nonisothermal kinetics results were in good agreement with those obtained from the isothermal kinetics measurements.
Keywords:NUCLEATING-AGENT ADDITION;ISOTHERMAL CRYSTALLIZATION;ISOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE;DOTRIACONTANE;COMPOSITES;MORPHOLOGY