Fabrication and Thermal Characteristics of Liquid Crystalline Copolyester/OMMT Nanocomposite Films

Liquid crystalline copolyester (LCC)/organically modified-montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposite films were prepared by a solvent casting method with different OMMT contents, using p-chlorophenol as a solvent. Both LCC and LCC/OMMT were heat treated to obtain the smectic structure. To examine their internal structure and morphology, the prepared LCC/OMMT nanocomposite films were characterized by an X-ray diffraction method and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). The d-spacing of the silicate layers for each LCC/OMMT nanocomposite film was shifted, indicating that the OMMT particles were dispersed in the LCC matrix and formed intercalated structures. Thermal characteristics of the LCC/OMMT nanocomposite films were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA). The gel-to-liquid crystal transition (Tc-lc) and degradation temperatures (T-d) of both LCC and LCC/OMMT nanocomposite films with different heat treatment time were examined. The Tc-lc and T-d of the LCC/OMMT were found to be enhanced compared with those of the LCC film, exhibiting their improved thermal characteristics.