POLY(PHENYLENE SULFIDE) LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMER BLENDS .1. NONISOTHERMAL CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS/

The non-isothermal crystallization behaviour of poly(phenylene sulfide ) (PPS) in blends with thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry. The TLCP ch osen for the investigation was poly(oxybenzoate-co-ethylene terephthal ate). It was observed that the Ozawa equation is valid not only for ne at PPS, but also for the blends. The PPS crystallization temperature w as found to increase markedly upon addition of the TLCP. A notable red uction in Avrami exponents for the PPS/LCP blend systems suggests that the nucleated process leads to rod-shaped growth with thermal nucleat ion. The cooling crystallization function, which represents the rate o f non-isothermal crystallization, was found to decrease with decreasin g temperature and/or increase in LCP content. It has been concluded th at the non-isothermal crystallization of PPS is strongly accelerated b y the presence of TLCP. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.