POLY(CAPROLACTON) LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYMER BLENDS - PHASE-BEHAVIOR AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES

The blend behaviour of a thermoplast (polycaprolacton) and a liquid cr ystalline polyester was investigated. The blending was performed via a common solution and rapid precipitation. The blends exhibited a two-p hase structure with one phase being the pure thermoplast and the secon d a mixture of the thermoplast with the liquid crystalline polymer (LC P). The mixed phase can be interpreted as a lyotropic LCP phase with t he thermoplast acting as the solvent. At low LCP concentrations ( < 2 %), the Young's modulus, E, of the blend is increased by more than a f actor of two, but higher LCP concentrations do not increase the mechan ical properties as drastically.