Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Ternary Polymer Blends Containing Liquid Crystalline Ionomers with Different Ionic Group

Abstract

Three side-chain liquid crystalline ionomers (SLCIs) with sulfonic group (SLCI-S), quaternary ammonium salt group (SLCI-N), and carboxylic group (SLCI-C) were synthesized by graft copolymerization upon polymethylhydrosiloxane, respectively. The SLCIs were used to blend with poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and polypropylene (PP). The morphological structure and mechanical properties of the blends were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM results indicated that the addition of SLCIs lead to finer and better dispersion of PP polymer in the blends relative to the blends with no SLCIs added. The compatibilization of SLCIs in the blends were in the increasing order of SLCI-S> SLCI-N> SLCI-C, which was due to the specify interaction between SLCIs and PBT increased with the increasing order of SLCI-S>SLCI-N>SLCI-C. The mechanical properties were improved when the proper amount of SLCI was added, which enabled improve adhesion at the interface. The mechanical property of PBT/PP/SLCI-S was higher than that of PBT/PP/SLCI-N, which was higher than that of PBT/PP/SLCI-C.