Preliminary Thermal and Structural Studies of Blends Based on a Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyester and Poly(Ethylene) Terephthalate

Due to economic, technological, and regulatory pressures, there has been a gralual narrowing of the chemical variety of polymers being produced1. In order to obtain new materials with unique properties, one of the approaches taken by polymer scientists is to use polymer blends. Some of the reasons as to why these materials are attractive are (i) the ability to obtain higher performance materials economically, (ii) modification of performance as a market develops, (iii) extend the performance of an expensive resin and (iv) re-use of plastics scrap through blending and (v) genetation of a unique material in terms of processability or performance1. The two principal means by which polymer blends can be prepared are mechanical mixing or casting from solution.