Effects of Annealing on Structure and Properties of TLCP/PEN/PET Ternary Blend Fibers

Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP)/poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) ternary blends were prepared by melt blending, and were melt-spun to fibers at various spinning speeds in an effort to improve fiber performance and processability. Structure and property relationship of TLCP/PEN/PET ternary blend fibers and effects of annealing on those were investigated. The mechanical properties of ternary blend fibers could be significantly improved by annealing, which were attributed to the development of more ordered crystallites and the formation of more perfect crystalline structures. TLCP/PEN/PET ternary blend fibers that annealed at 18$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 h, exhibited the highest values of tensile strength and modulus. The double melting behaviors observed in the annealed ternary blend fibers depended on annealing temperature and time, which might be caused by different lamellae thickness distribution as a result of the melting-reorganization process during the DSC scans.