TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphology of a phase‐separated and a molecular composite PBT/ABPBI polymer blend
AU - Krause, Stephen
AU - Haddock, Tim
AU - Price, Gary E.
AU - Galen Lenhert, P.
AU - O'brien, Joseph F.
AU - Helminiak, Thaddeus E.
AU - Adams, W. Wade
PY - 1986/9
Y1 - 1986/9
N2 - The structure and morphology of homopolymers and blends of rigid‐rod poly(p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBT) and semiflexible coil poly[2,5(6)benzimidazole] (ABPBI) were examined by wide‐angle x‐ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. When samples were processed from a solution where the total polymer concentration of 30% PBT/70% ABPBI blend was greater than a critical concentration, large‐scale phase separation occurred and 0.1–4 μm ellipsoidal particles were present in a ductile matrix. The ellipsoids were chiefly composed of aggregates of well‐oriented 10‐nm PBT crystallites, while the matrix material was chiefly ABPBI. When the concentration was less than a critical concentration, the solution was optically homogeneous. In processing of fiber and film samples from the homogeneous solution, large‐scale phase separation was inhibited by rapid coagulation in a water bath. After heat treatment, these samples were found to contain crystallites of both PBT and ABPBI with lateral dimensions of ordered regions no larger than 3 nm. The PBT homopolymer was dispersed in the matrix at the molecular level in ordered regions at a scale no larger than 3 nm, resulting in a rigid‐rod molecular composite. In the rigid‐rod molecular composite fiber both the molecular‐level dispersion and high orientation contributed to higher values of strength and modulus compared to the properties of a phase‐separated fiber. The strength and modulus of highly oriented fiber were only 25% higher than those of planar isotropically oriented film, suggesting that the level of dispersion of rod molecules is more important than orientation of the reinforcing phase in rigid‐rod molecular composites.
AB - The structure and morphology of homopolymers and blends of rigid‐rod poly(p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBT) and semiflexible coil poly[2,5(6)benzimidazole] (ABPBI) were examined by wide‐angle x‐ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. When samples were processed from a solution where the total polymer concentration of 30% PBT/70% ABPBI blend was greater than a critical concentration, large‐scale phase separation occurred and 0.1–4 μm ellipsoidal particles were present in a ductile matrix. The ellipsoids were chiefly composed of aggregates of well‐oriented 10‐nm PBT crystallites, while the matrix material was chiefly ABPBI. When the concentration was less than a critical concentration, the solution was optically homogeneous. In processing of fiber and film samples from the homogeneous solution, large‐scale phase separation was inhibited by rapid coagulation in a water bath. After heat treatment, these samples were found to contain crystallites of both PBT and ABPBI with lateral dimensions of ordered regions no larger than 3 nm. The PBT homopolymer was dispersed in the matrix at the molecular level in ordered regions at a scale no larger than 3 nm, resulting in a rigid‐rod molecular composite. In the rigid‐rod molecular composite fiber both the molecular‐level dispersion and high orientation contributed to higher values of strength and modulus compared to the properties of a phase‐separated fiber. The strength and modulus of highly oriented fiber were only 25% higher than those of planar isotropically oriented film, suggesting that the level of dispersion of rod molecules is more important than orientation of the reinforcing phase in rigid‐rod molecular composites.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84974920330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84974920330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/polb.1986.090240908
DO - 10.1002/polb.1986.090240908
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84974920330
SN - 0887-6266
VL - 24
SP - 1991
EP - 2016
JO - Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics
JF - Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics
IS - 9
ER -