Studies of the terephthalic acid and dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone liquid crystalline copolymer and its composites
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
K. A. Khan
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia)
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
1996
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
87
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
M.S.
Body granting the degree
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia)
Text preceding or following the note
1996
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
A liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) was synthesized by an interfacial polycondensation reaction at room temperature from terephthaloyl chloride and p,p-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone. The LCP synthesized was so stable and molecularly rigid that it did not show any phase transition until it degraded at about 320C. Composites of the LCP with polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS) and sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) were formed by compression molding at a temperature at which the thermoplastic matrix was in the melt state. They were thermally analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Tensile specimens were cut from the compression molded plates and mechanical tests were performed. Morphology of the material systems was studied by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis on cryogenically fractured specimens. For LCP/PS and LCP/SPS systems, a sharp two phase morphology was formed which suggested poor interfacial adhesion. Tensile strength of both systems decreased with LCP addition. The LCP/PC system also revealed a two phase morphology, however the interfaces between the LCP domains and the PC matrix were not so well defined showing better interfacial adhesion than the two previous systems studied. Stronger bonding between the LCP and PC resulted in a significant improvement in the mechanical behavior of PC by LCP addition.