Thermal analysis, mechanical and rheological behaviour of melt manufactured polyethylene/liquid crystal polymer blends

Modification of properties of conventional thermoplastics with thermotropic liquid crystal polymers, from one hand, allows decrease their viscosities, substantially facilitating processing conditions, and, from another hand, allows increase their exploitation properties. Orientation of the labile structure of liquid crystal polymer in extrusion or injection moulding causes specific reinforcement (so-called self-reinforcement) to occur in the blends containing liquid crystal polymer. Up to now the effect of self-reinforcement is mostly investigated in the blends, containing considerable amount of liquid crystal polymer. In this research the effect of minor amounts of liquid crystalline co-polyester modifier on the properties of polyethylene is investigated. Various compositions of laboratory synthesized hydroxybenzoic acid /polyethylene terephtalate copolymer containing polyethylene composites have been manufactured by thermoplastic blending. It has been observed that 1) modulus of elasticity, yield strength and ultimate strength increase with raising the content of liquid crystalline modifier; 2) void content in the investigated polyethylene/liquid crystal copolymer composites is not greater that 1%; 3) addition of liquid crystalline co-polyester modifier improves arrangement of PE crystalline phase.