Processing and characterization of blends of fluoroelastomers with semirigid liquid crystal polymers

Fluoroelastomers (FEs) usually have working temperatures above 150 degrees C and a great resistance to aggressive agents such as oils, fuels, aliphatic and aromatic solvents, steam, moderate acid, and basic environments. Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) can be effective processing aids and reinforcing agents for elastomers. These characteristics are very attractive to lower melt viscosity and to stiffen and strengthen the final product through a simple blending. Among the LCPs, the semirigid LCPs seem the most appealing for blending with flexible thermoplastics (FTs) because their processing temperatures can be arranged to be in the same processing temperature range of FTs and because the presence of flexible segments can improve the compatibility with the flexible matrix. This is very important especially for FEs that are subjected not only to mechanical degradation, but also to thermal degradation. Blends of FEs with two types of semirigid LCPs show easy processability and enhanced mechanical and thermomechanical properties. These improvements were observed both for pure FEs and for filled vulcanized systems. The improvement of the mechanical properties is below that expected on the basis of the additive rule due to the incompatibility between the components; nevertheless, an impressive increase of the elastic modulus, up to 40 times, was noticed by adding 20% of LCP. In vulcanized systems, the tensile strength is also increased, whereas the elongation at break is slightly reduced. The working temperature is also drastically increased both in vulcanized and in unvulcanized systems.