Surface modification and characterisation of high performance thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer fibres

• Main Author: Xu, Bin.
• Other Authors: Hu Xiao
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Organic/Polymer electronics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/42569
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Vectran fibre is a high-performance thermotropic multifilament yarn spun from Vectra® liquid crystal polymer (LCP). This fibre is the only commercially available melt spun LCP fibre in the world. Its exceptional strength and rigidity render itself for good market penetration. This body of work aimed to characterise Vectran fibre and study the effects of surface modification on this fibre. Before the surface modification attempt, Vectran fibre' s inherent bulk properties were carefully analysed utilising scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and tensile test. Two important types of Vectran fibres, Vectran HS (VHS) and Vectran M(VM) fibre, were characterised and the structure-property relationship was investigated by Spectroscopy Analysis, Element Analysis, Thermal Analysis and Tensile Test. Spectroscopy and CHNO analysis found that VHS has higher HNA/HBA ratio than VM fibre. Thermal analysis and tensile test results show that VHS fibre has higher rigidity and crystallinity than VM fibre. The Module of VHS fibre is twice than that of VM fibre and the crystalline-nematic transition temperature of VHS is also higher than that of VM. The Morphology and microstructure of Vectran fibre were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The apparently banded structure was seen on the surface of Vectran fibres.