Interfacial tension between a liquid crystalline polyesteramide and polypropylene obtained by dielectric spectroscopy

✍ Scribed by A. Boersma; J. Van Turnhout

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 202 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-6266
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0488(19980415)36:5<815::aid-polb9>3.0.co;2-j

✦ Synopsis

Dielectric spectroscopy is an unexplored technique in the elucidation of the morphology of polymer blends. Especially the appearance of interfacial polarization can reveal important information about the microstructure of a polymer blend. A model system of liquid crystalline polymer fibers lined up in a thermoplastic matrix was investigated. After heating above the melting temperature of both phases, the fibers developed distortions which grew with time. Dielectric spectroscopy was used to follow the change in shape of the distorted fibers. The use of only two frequencies made it possible to increase the number of relevant data points in the initial stages of the fiber breakup process. From these measurements it was possible to calculate the growth rate and hence the interfacial tension between the two polymers.