Viscosity of polymer melts reduced jointly by filler addition and LCP fibrillation

Filler loading (fiber or particulate) usually increases the melt viscosity of polymers. In contrast, the addition of these fillers and fibrillation of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) jointly decreased the viscosity of polymer melts to lower than those of pure component polymers, filler-loaded or LCP-blended ones; and even decreased the viscosity with increasing filler loading. Termed as rheological hybrid effect, this phenomenon correlated well with the LCP fibrillation in these ternary systems. Research taking fillers of various shapes and sizes showed that the filler addition promoted the LCP fibrillation, depending upon thermodynamic and dynamic factors involved.