Surface and Interaction Characteristics of Liquid Crystal Polymers and their Miscibility with Thermoplastic Hosts

Abstract

Inverse gas chromatographic measurements have shown that the surface of thermo-tropic liquid crystal polymers, (TLCP), are capable of mainly dispersion force (L/W) interactions, with only slight contributions from non-dispersion (acid-base) forces. Structural moieties capable of non-dispersive interactions are primarily oriented into the TLCP bulk, perhaps accounting for the self-assembly effects in these polymers. Moreover, nondispersive surface forces were found to be thermolabile, so that above characteristic temperatures only L/W forces remain. Blends of TLCP with polycarbonate and polyetherimide hosts prepared below the characteristic temperatures displayed morphology typical of immiscible blends. When prepared at, and quenched from, temperatures above the pertinent characteristic value, electron micrographs showed evidence of adhesion at matrix/TLCP contacts, simulating the behavior of more miscible systems.