Interfacial tension between polystyrene and a liquid crystal polymer

In this work contact angles formed by drops of polystyrene (PS) on a surface of liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) Vectra A910 were measured as a function of temperature for temperatures ranging from 180 to 230°C. The values were used together with the surface tensions of both polymers to evaluate the interfacial tension between PS and the LCP. In order to validate the method used to evaluate this interfacial tension, the interfacial tension between polypropylene (PP) and PS was evaluated using values of contact angles formed by a drop of PP on PS and the values of surface tension of both polymers in the molten state. The values of interfacial tension between PP and PS corroborated well the values obtained using the pendant drop method. The values of interfacial tension between PS and the LCP were shown to decrease linearly with temperature.