Rheological properties of liquid crystalline copolyesters

Abstract

Abstract Copolyesters were synthesized by modifying poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with p ‐acetoxybenzoic acid (PAB) and hydroquinone diacetate/tetrasubstituted (tetramethyl, tetrachloro, and tetabromo) terephthalic acid (HQTS). It was found that the copolyesters containing 33 mol% or higher concentrations of (PAB+HQTS) from mesomorphic liquid crystalline structures. Rheological properties of copolyesters formed of PET, modified with PAB and hydroquinone diacetate/tetramethyl terephthalic acid (HQTM), were measured using a cone‐and‐plate rheometer. It was found that the copolyesters in the mesomorphic state exhibit yield values at a low shear rate (or at a low shear stress), and negative values of first normal stress difference were observed for certain compositions of (PAB+HQTM), over the range of shear rates (or shear stresses) tested.