Polymer blend containing a thermotropic polyester with long flexible spacer in the main chain

Polymer blends of nylon 66 and thermotropic polyester with long flexible spacers in the main chains were prepared by melt mixing. The samples were made as single filaments by passing the polymer blend through a small and round die of a capillary rheometer. Mechanical properties of blends showed that the modulus and strength of nylon 66 could be improved without reduction of extensibility. The morphology of fractured surfaces was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It showed that the microfibrillar structure of a thermotropic polyester was formed by extensional flow while the spherical and ellipsoidal particles in the nylon 66 (matrix polymer) were produced by shear flow. The polyester particles were occasionally covered with adhering matrix polymer because of good adhesion between these two polymers. They were highly elongated by tensile stress without loss of elongational characteristics of blends. This fact was explained by very good adhesion between the two phases.