Microhardness of PET-based liquid crystalline copolyesters: influence of the microstructure

Abstract

The Vickers microhardness of PET-based liquid crystalline copolyesters has been investigated. The copolyesters have been synthesized by transesterification of PET with equimolar amounts of sebacic acid (S) and hydroquinone (Q) (or 4,4′-dihyroxybiphenyl (B)) and with varying amounts of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (H). The variation of the Vickers microhardness of PET-S-Q-H and PET-S-B-H liquid crystalline polyesters with the composition have been interpreted by the microstructure of the materials. The increase in the concentration of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (H) in both types of copolyesters leads to an increase in intermolecular distance and to enlargement of the domain size. This, on its, turn, leads to a decrease in the materials' microhardness. The effect that the mixing time of the reactive blends of equimolar amounts of PET and poly(phenylene sebacate) (PQS) PET/PQS has upon the microhardness values has been also studied. The variation of the microhardness of PET/PQS blends prepared for different mixing times follows the same tendency as that of the melting enthalpy (i.e. the degree of crystallinity). Both parameters have lower values with the longer mixing time. The decreased crystallinity during the transreaction results into materials having higher creep rate under load.