Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.110, No.19, 9706-9712, 1999
Creep and stress relaxation in a longitudinal polymer liquid crystal: Prediction of the temperature shift factor
The polymer liquid crystal PLC is the PET/0.6PHB copolymer; PET=poly(ethylene terephthalate), PHB=mu-hydroxybenzoic acid (LC): 0.6=the mole fraction of PHB. This is a multiphase system with PHB-rich islands in a PET-rich matrix. Tensile creep compliance was measured isothermally from 20 degrees C to 160 degrees C in 10 degrees C intervals. Master curves were determined using the time-temperature superposition for 20 degrees C and for the glass transition temperature of the PET-rich phase T (gPET) =62 degrees C. Experimental values of the temperature shift factor a(T) as a function of temperature T agree in the entire T range with those from Eq. (7) relating a(T) to the reduced volume <(nu)over tilde> and the Hartmann equation of state Eq. (10). Values of a(T)(T) calculated from the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) formula give very large errors below T (g). A control 14 months creep experiment agrees with the theoretical predictions from Eq. (7). Stress relaxation experiments were performed under the constant strain of 0.5% from 20 degrees C to 120 degrees C, again master curves were determined for 20 degrees C and for T gPET and a T (T) values calculated. The stress relaxation a T (T) results agree with those from creep and with those from Eq. (7).