| Abstract: | Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) copolyesters modified with seven compositions of p‐acetoxybenzoic acid (PABA) ranging from 10 to 70 mol % were prepared. The X‐ray diffraction patterns, the polarizing microscopy behaviors, and thermal analysis showed that the modified PBT contained more PABA homopolymer units (PABA–PABA) than PBT–PABA units in the copolyesters. On increasing PABA mole percenage, PBT crystallinity decreased and thermal stability increased. It was found that although the PBT copolyesters did not exhibit a clear liquid crystalline texture like the copolyester of poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified with PABA did, the PBT copolyester containing 70 mol % of PABA exhibited the typical shear thinning behavior of a liquid crystalline polymer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1085–1095, 2001 |
