Evaluation of liquid crystal polymers for electronic connector applications

The purpose of this thesis was to identify the best possible polymer for molding a new generation of high temperature electronic connectors. The material selection was narrowed to six different grades of liquid crystal polymers. They are Vectra E130I Vectra C130, Titan LG431, Titan LGM 641, Zenite 6130L and Xydar G930. The grade selection was based on properties such as dimensional stability, mechanical properties, thermal properties, melt flow, and ability to process. Ticona Vectra E130I was selected as the base/control material because it was the most widely used LCP in the electronic industry. First generation regrinds performance for these polymers was also measured as another data point towards selecting an alternate material.;From these studies, Vectra C130 was concluded as the best out of the selected materials for the new line of electronic connectors. It was the only material that performed better than the control/base E130I. It was concluded that, except for Xydar G930 and Zenite 6130L, all other material scores were in close vicinity and could be a good alternate for base E130I.