Thermogravimetric Analysis of Blends Based on Nylon 6 and a Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Copolyester

The thermal stabilities of blends between Nylon 6 and the liquid crystal copolyester Vectra A were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis under dynamic and isothermal conditions. The theoretical mass loss curves were compared with the experimental ones in order to establish the influence of blending on the thermal stabilities of the pure polymers. The characteristic degradation temperatures and the relative values of the volatilized matter percentages were obtained from the dynamic curves, and the effect of the blend composition was analysed. The resulting data, together with the analysis of the activation energies, demonstrated that blending has an important effect on the thermal stability of Vectra A, which undergoes a considerable destabilization in the presence of Nylon 6. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.