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Thermal properties, structure and morphology of PEEK/thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer blends
Author(s) -
Naffakh Mohammed,
Gómez Marián A,
Ellis Gary,
Marco Carlos
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.1276
Subject(s) - peek , thermotropic crystal , materials science , small angle x ray scattering , differential scanning calorimetry , crystallization , liquid crystal , polymer , crystallinity , composite material , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , optics , scattering , liquid crystalline , thermodynamics , physics , optoelectronics , engineering
Abstract The dynamic crystallization and subsequent melting behaviour of poly(aryl ether ether ketone), PEEK, and its blends with a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer, Vectra ® , have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy and wide‐angle and small‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXS and SAXS) techniques in a wide compositional range. Differences in crystallization rates and crystallinities were related to the structural and morphological characteristics of the blends measured by simultaneous real‐time WAXS and SAXS experiments using synchrotron radiation and optical microscopy. The crystallization process of PEEK in the blends takes place in the presence of the nematic phase of Vectra and leads to the formation of two different crystalline families. The addition of Vectra reduces the crystallization rate of PEEK, depending on composition, and more perfect crystals are formed. An increase in the long period of PEEK during heating was generally observed in the blends at all cooling rates. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry