COMPATIBILITY AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF BINARY BLENDS COMPOSED OF AROMATIC POLY(ETHER SULFONE) AND POLY(M-PHENYLENEISOPHTHALAMIDE) BY SOLUTION BLENDING

Poly(oxy-1,4-phenylenesulfonyl-1,4-phenylene) (PES) and poly(m-phenyle neisophthalamide) (aramid) were blended by a conventional solution ble nding method. The PES/aramid solution blended films, prepared by casti ng from the N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solution of the two polymer m ixtures, exhibited two glass transition temperatures and gave phase-se parated translucent or opaque films over the entire PES/aramid composi tion ranges. The morphology observed by scanning electron microscope a lso revealed that the blend films had two phase structure with the PES domain dispersed in the aramid matrix. The tensile modulus and tensil e strength of the films were somewhat low because of the heterogeneous morphology compared with the component polymer films, while the elong ation at break of the blend films increased remarkably, reaching to ab out 190%, indicative of the tough and ductile films. The annealing of the blend films afforded high temperature resistant films with high te nsile modulus and strength due to both crystallization and partial cro ss-linking of the aramid component.