Abstract
Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCPS) based on 60 mol% hydroxybenzoic acid and 40 mol% poly(ethylene terephthalate) (HBA60/PET40) with poly(butylene torephthalate) (PBT) blends were prepared and their thermal and crystallization behaviors were investigated by changing the composition of the blends. Small addition (3~7%) of LCP into PBT resulted in an increment of melting temperature, crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity The synergistic effect of thermal stability was observed in the blends containing 5 or 7% LCP content. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics was investigated by applying the non-isothermal DSC using Ozawa equation, which is an extended Avrami equation. The calculated Avrami exponent reveals predetermined nucleation and three-dimensional growth of the caystallites in the PBT and PBT/LCP blends. The rate of crystallization increased at 5% and 10% LCP/PBT blends, which was attributed to the nucleation of the PBT crystallization by the LCP. The crystallization of PBT was affected by the addition of TLCP, which acts as a nucleating agent.