Effects of rigid segments on structure and properties of unoriented and oriented poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide-co-ethylene terephthalates)

In poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide-co-ethylene terephthalate) the rigid segments of p-phenylene terephthalamide are aggregated as crystalline domains above the weight fraction of the rigid segments, 6 wt%. The rigid segments disturb the crystallization of the flexible segments of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and are preferentially contained in the amorphous phase of the PET segments. The crystallinity of the PET segments decreased with increasing the content of the rigid segments in the copolymers and the glass transition temperature is decreased by the decrease of the crystallinity below the weight fraction of the rigid segments, 6 wt%, in spite of the depression of micro-Brownian motion of the PET segments due to the rigid segments. The values of Young's modulus E, yield stress σ_y and breaking stress σ_b for the zone-drawn copolymer were conspicuously increased by the rigid segments contained in it, in comparison with those of the zone-drawn PET homopolymer. Such higher values of E, σ_y, and σ_b of the copolymer are originated by greater increases in the orientation of amorphous chains in the copolymer. The rigid segments in the amorphous phase effectively depressed the thermal shrinkage of the zone-drawn and the zone-annealed copolymers.