Processability and mechanical performance of hybrid composites based on poly(ether sulfone) modified with a glass fiber–reinforced liquid crystalline polymer

✍ Scribed by M. García; J. I. Eguiazábal; J. Nazábal

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 278 KB
• Volume: 91
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/app.13219

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Hybrid composites, based on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) and glass fiber–reinforced copolyester liquid crystalline polymer (gLCP) up to 40% gLCP, were obtained by injection molding: these polymers were immiscible. Despite its higher viscosity, the gLCP acted as a processing aid for PES. The Young's modulus of the composites increased linearly with gLCP content, attributed to the opposing effects of increasing skin thickness and decreasing orientation of the fibrillated LCP in the skin. The break properties decreased with increasing gLCP content, mainly because of the lack of adhesion between the phases. The notched impact strength increased substantially on addition of 10% gLCP, suggesting that the dispersed rigid particles changed the fracture behavior of PES. The composite with 10% gLCP appeared to be the most attractive because it showed an increase in stiffness of 18%, 6.5‐fold impact strength, and a tensile strength similar to that of PES. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 854–860, 2004