Reinforcing and Toughening on Poly(ether imide) by a Novel Thermo Tropic Liquid Crystalline Poly(ester-imide-ketone) With Low Content

Reinforcing and toughening effects on the thermoplastic poly(ether imide) (PEI) by a novel thermo tropic liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide-ketone) (TLCPEIK) with low content were studied in this work. The novel TLCPEIK with kink naphthalene structure in the backbone was synthesized in our laboratory. A series of in-situ composites (TLCPEIK/PEI) with a low concentration of TLCPEIK(<= 5 wt%) were prepared by direct extrusion. Tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of the composites increased with increasing TLCPEIK content. Impact strength and elongation at break of the composites were enhanced greatly when compared with that of pure PEI. To explain the simultaneously reinforcing and toughening effects on PEI by TLCPEIK, miscibility and morphology of the composites were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results suggest that good compatibility of the components is beneficial to improve the ultimate properties of TLCPEIK/PEI in-situ composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 49:2046-2053, 2009. (C) 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers