Effect of interfacial interaction on rheological behavior of blends of a semiflexible liquid-crystalline polyester and polycarbonate

A liquid-crystalline polyester based on hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroquinone, sebacic acid, and suberic acid (named as BQSESU) was melt blended with polycarbonate (PC) at the BQSESU concentration of 2 wt %. It was found that the extent of viscosity reduction induced by the addition of BQSESU depends on the compounding temperature and the relation between them is not monotonic. The lowest viscosity was achieved by blending at 280degreesC. GPC measurements indicate that molecular weight reduction induced by the compounding is not a major contributor to the viscosity reduction. SEM study shows that when compounded at 280degreesC the blend is partially miscible with particle size at the submicron level. At the same time a large T-g depression was observed, which indicates strong interactions between the flexible segments of BQSESU and PC in the interfacial regions. The lowest viscosity achieved by blending at 280degreesC is thus proposed as an interfacial phenomenon. When compounded at 265degreesC, BQSESU particle size is larger, which gives a small interfacial area and hence less viscosity reduction. When compounded at 300degreesC a nearly miscible morphology was achieved, which also leads to less viscosity reduction. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.