Abstract:
A method for forming a liquid crystalline thermoplastic composition is provided. The method comprises blending at least one thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer and a plurality of fibers within an extruder. The extruder contains at least one rotatable screw received within a barrel (e.g., cylindrical barrel) and defines a feed section and a melting section located downstream from the feed section along the length of the screw. Relatively long fibers are initially supplied to the feed section of the extruder, but at a location downstream from the liquid crystalline polymer so that the polymer is still in a solid state when it initially contacts the fibers. In this manner, the present inventors have discovered that the polymer can act as an abrasive agent for reducing the length of the fibers.
Abstract:
An overmolded composite structure that contains a metal component and a resinous component adhered to a surface thereof is provided. The resinous component is formed from a thermoplastic composition that contains at least one polyarylene sulfide and at least one mineral filler. The present inventors have discovered that the nature and relative concentration of the polyarylene sulfides, mineral fillers, and/or other materials in the thermoplastic composition can be selectively tailored so that the resulting resinous component has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion and/or color that is similar to the metal component.