The interfacial tension between a thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyester and polyethersulfone: A comparison of methods

Abstract Three dynamic methods to determine the interfacial tension between the thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) Vectra A900 and polyethersulfone were evaluated: (1) thread breakup, (2) fiber retraction and (3) dynamic shear rheometry. The thread breakup and retraction methods, were suitable for measuring the interfacial tension, provided that the shear thinning flow behavior of the TLCP was taken into account. The viscosity of the TLCP during breakup or retraction was estimated from steady‐shear measurements at the observed overall rate of deformation during growth of capillary instabilities or during retraction. The calculation of the interfacial tension from breakup rates of TLCP threads was improved by accounting for transient flow behavior during distortion growth using a single‐element Maxwell model. Determination of the interfacial tension by oscillatory shear measurements on TLCP/PES dispersions using the emulsion model of Palierne, was not applicable for this system. Only for dispersions containing low TLCP volume fractions (e.g. 9 vol%) was there reasonable agreement between the emulsion model and measurements. At higher volume fractions agreement was poor, possibly because of different dynamic flow behavior of the TLCP in the pure form and in blends. The interfacial tension values obtained from thread breakup and fiber retraction ranged from 4 to 6 mN/m, which demonstrate that in‐situ determination of the interfacial tension is possible for blends containing TLCPs, despite their complex flow behavior.