Rheological behavior and thermal stability of poly(phenylene sulfide)/vectra-B950 blends

Blends of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) with a commercial, wholly aromatic, liquid crystalline polymer (LCP), Vectra-B950, have been prepared by melt-blending. Their rheological behavior has been studied in order to determine if the LCP displays a processing aid ability, and under what conditions it gives rise to potentially reinforcing fibrils dispersed in the PPS matrix. The problem of the thermal stability of PPS/LCP blends, which has been considered by some authors as the main obstacle to the production of usable materials due to the evolution of gaseous substances during processing, has been discussed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.