*2.2.1. Wide angle X-ray diffraction*

Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) was conducted at room temperature on a Philips powder X-ray diffraction system (Model PW 1830, The Netherlands). TLCP and TC3 white were first dried in a vacuum oven for 2 days, then hot pressed at 170 oC to form films with thickness of 300 µm; the organoclay was characterized in powder form. WAXD was conducted with Cu *k* radiation of wavelength 1.5406 *A* .

## *2.2.2. Fourier transform infraRed & nuclear magnetic resonance spectra*

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer (Bio-Rad FTS 6000, USA) was used at room temperature with a liquid cell container for solutions. Spectral resolution was maintained at 2 cm-1. Dry nitrogen gas was used to purge the sample compartment to reduce the interference of water and carbon dioxide in the spectrum. The solutions were the TLCP chloroform and the TLCP/organoclay chloroform solutions before evaporation procedure. The 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were measured at room temperature on a Bruker ARX 300 NMR spectrometer using chloroform-d as the solvent, and the chemical shifts were reported on the scale using tetramethylsilane (TMS) as the internal reference.

### *2.2.3. Polarized optical microscopy*

278 Viscoelasticity – From Theory to Biological Applications

which will be used here for study.

**2.2. Characterizations** 

conducted with Cu *k*

*2.2.1. Wide angle X-ray diffraction* 

*2.1.4. Polyethylene blends preparation* 

*2.1.3. Organoclay-modified as-recieved TLCP (TC3 white) preparation* 

Initially, TLCP was dried in a vacuum oven at 120 oC for 2 days and organoclay in an oven at 100 oC overnight. The materials were dissolved and dispersed in chloroform respectively with a TLCP/organoclay weight ratio 97:3. The solutions were then stirred for about 4 hours at room temperature. After that, TLCP and organoclay were mixed together and the mixture was sonicated by ultrasonic pin vibration (Branson digital sonifier 450, USA) with 45% power for about 2 hours at room temperature. Subsequently, the mixture was centrifuged with a speed of 3,800 rpm for 45 minutes to separate the bottom layer precipitate which was believed to be redundant organoclay and unsolvable TLCP, and the top layer, if any, which was believed to be impurities in TLCP, from the middle portion; then the solvent was volatilized at room temperature. A nanocomposite was obtained, which was dried in an oven at 60 oC for 12 hours and in a vacuum oven at 120 oC for 2 days. The nanocomposite showed severe shear-induced phase separation phenomenon at 190 oC or higher temperatures and can be effectively separated by a capillary rheometer at 190 oC at a low speed (5.0 1/s) [21]. The extruded material was named TC3 white because of its white color,

For HMMPE blends, the dried 1.0 wt% TC3 white (or purified TLCP) in powder form and HMMPE in pellet form were mechanically pre-mixed at room temperature until macroscopically homogeneous. The mixture was then extruded using a Dr. Collin twin screw extruder (Dr. Collin GMBH, Germany) at 190 oC with two-time extrusion at different speeds (75 rad/s and 300 rad/s respectively). The extrudate was palletized and kept dry

Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) was conducted at room temperature on a Philips powder X-ray diffraction system (Model PW 1830, The Netherlands). TLCP and TC3 white were first dried in a vacuum oven for 2 days, then hot pressed at 170 oC to form films with thickness of 300 µm; the organoclay was characterized in powder form. WAXD was

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer (Bio-Rad FTS 6000, USA) was used at room temperature with a liquid cell container for solutions. Spectral resolution was maintained at 2 cm-1. Dry nitrogen gas was used to purge the sample compartment to reduce the interference of water and carbon dioxide in the spectrum. The solutions were the TLCP chloroform and the TLCP/organoclay chloroform solutions before evaporation

 .

inside an oven overnight to remove moisture generated during the process.

radiation of wavelength 1.5406 *A*

*2.2.2. Fourier transform infraRed & nuclear magnetic resonance spectra* 

The mesophase structures of the liquid-crystalline phase of TLCP and its nanocomposite were investigated by polarized optical microscopy (POM) using an Olympus microscope BX 50 with a Cambridge shear system CSS450 connecting a hot stage. The most outstanding feature of this setup is that it allows investigation of texture changes at different temperatures and under varying shear rates. Mesophase structure images were obtained at 185 oC after preshearing samples with a low shear rate i.e. 0.5 1/s for more than 3600 seconds to remove any shear history and anchored defects, and to give a common shear history or structure to samples before isothermal treatment in a quiescent condition for sufficient time.

## *2.2.4. Thermogravimetric analysis & differential scanning calorimetry*

Thermal stability analysis was carried out by using a Hi-Res TGA 2950 thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) apparatus (TA instruments, USA). The test was carried out in air with a heating rate of 20.0 oC/min from 50.0 oC to 600.0 oC, and then isothermally treated for 30 minutes at 600.0 oC. The phase transition temperature of the nanocomposite based on TLCP was determined via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (PYRIS diamond DSC, Perkin-Elmer Instruments, USA), using indium as the calibration standard, with heating or cooling rate of 10.0 oC/min under nitrogen atmosphere.
