Biodegradable liquid‐crystalline aromatic polyesters

Two strategies designed for the mechanical reinforcement of biodegradable polyesters, such as poly‐(ε‐caprolactone), poly (L‐lactide) and their copolyesters, are described. Both strategies utilize more or less biodegradable thermotropic aromatic polyesters as reinforcing component. However, the structures of the aromatic polyesters differ largely. For strategy I polyesters composed of substituted hydroquinones and substituted terephthalic acids are used (which may contain anhydride groups), whereas the polyesters of strategy II are made up of natural nontoxic monomers such as β‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid and 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid.