In situ fibre composites from poly(phenylene sulphide) thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer blends. Melting, crystallization, and phase behavior

Melting, crystallization and phase behavior of the blends of poly(phenylene sulphide) (PPS) and an aliphatic-aromatic thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP), were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM). The equilibrium melting temperature (T-m(0) and the crystal lamellar thickness of PPS phase decreases with an increase in TLCP concentration. This phenomenon can be ascribable to the nucleating effect of TLCP on the spherulite growth of PPS phase. Phase diagram shows that the PPS/TLCP blend crystallizes in well separated temperature regimes and that the PPS component will always be solidified before the crystallization of TLCP begins. The crystallization temperature of PPS increases with the addition of TLCP. The PPS/TLCP blends exists as phase separated in the melt state. The reduction in the spherulite size of PPS phase, as revealed by PLOM, indicates that the spherulitic growth rate as well as the overall crystallization rate of PPS is influenced by the presence of TLCP.