Studies on the engineering properties of LCP-Vectra B 950/PP blends with the variations of EAA content

Polypropylene (PP) was melt blended with Vectra B-950 [a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP)], in a single screw extruder in presence of different doses of ethylene acrylic acid (EAA) copolymer, as modifier. The effect of incorporation in different proportions of EAA at a fixed dose of 5% LCP, on mechanical, thermal, morphological, and rheological properties of such blends was studied and the same were compared with that of pure PP and amongst themselves. Mechanical analysis (tensile properties) of the prepared blends exhibited improvements in ultimate tensile strength (UTS), modulus, toughness, hardness, and impact strength of PP matrix with the incorporation of EAA. The improvement in mechanical properties is associated with the formation of LCP fibrils as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A strong interaction through H-bonding between the segments of Vectra B-950 and EAA was established by FTIR study. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies indicated substantial increase in melting point of the blends, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal stability of PP was improved with the addition of LCP and EAA. Rheological properties showed that LCP and EAA drop down the melt viscosity of PP and thus facilitate processibility of blends. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011