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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Nucleating Effect of a Semiflexible Liquid-Crystalline Polymer for the Crystallization of Poly(Phenylene Sulfide)

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Abstract Blends of poly(phenylene sulfide) and a semiflexible liquid-crystalline polymer have been prepared, in the whole range of concentration, by melt mixing. The effect of the LCP phase on the crystallization of PPS has been studied by non-isothermal and isothermal calorimetry. It has been found that the addition of only 2-5% LCP into PPS strongly increases the crystallization rate of the latter polymer. This effect has been interpreted as the result of an increased nucleation density. The morphology of the blends, studied by scanning electron microscopy, has shown that the two polymers are incompatible, although the phase dispersion is good. Under elongational flow, the dispersed phase shows a distinct tendency toward fibrillation.