Structure-property relations of liquid crystalline polymers

Author(s):  
Linda C. Sawyer

Recent liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) research has sought to define structure-property relationships of these complex new materials. The two major types of LCPs, thermotropic and lyotropic LCPs, both exhibit effects of process history on the microstructure frozen into the solid state. The high mechanical anisotropy of the molecules favors formation of complex structures. Microscopy has been used to develop an understanding of these microstructures and to describe them in a fundamental structural model. Preparation methods used include microtomy, etching, fracture and sonication for study by optical and electron microscopy techniques, which have been described for polymers. The model accounts for the macrostructures and microstructures observed in highly oriented fibers and films.Rod-like liquid crystalline polymers produce oriented materials because they have extended chain structures in the solid state. These polymers have found application as high modulus fibers and films with unique properties due to the formation of ordered solutions (lyotropic) or melts (thermotropic) which transform easily into highly oriented, extended chain structures in the solid state.

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (15) ◽  
pp. 5684-5691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeyuki Yamada ◽  
Akira Mitsuda ◽  
Kaoru Adachi ◽  
Mitsuo Hara ◽  
Tsutomu Konno

Light-emitting liquid-crystalline polymers showing PL in the pristine solid state can control their PL color from blue to light-blue via a thermal phase transition to LC phases, which originates from a dynamic change of aggregated structures.


Soft Matter ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 3891-3901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan J. Fox ◽  
M. Gregory Forest ◽  
Stephen J. Picken ◽  
Theo J. Dingemans

We observe anomalous shear thickening behavior of a lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer due to the dynamics of the nematic director.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junji Furusho ◽  
◽  
Naoyuki Takesue ◽  

[abstFig src='/00280001/01.jpg' width=""260"" text='PLEMO-P3 Developed by Furusho Lab at Osaka Univ.' ]We conducted many research and development activities on functional fluid mechatronics, rehabilitation systems, and servo drive systems. In this review, studies on the development of magnetorheological fluid devices, electrorheological effects of liquid crystalline polymers on one-sided pattern electrodes, and vibration control using control theory and liquid crystalline polymer are introduced. In addition, applications of rehabilitation systems for upper and lower extremities employing functional fluids for individuals suffering from stroke, cerebellar ataxia, and Guillain-Barre syndrome are also introduced.


Author(s):  
Anthony Sullivan ◽  
Anil Saigal ◽  
Michael A. Zimmerman

Liquid crystalline polymers (LCP’s) make up a class of high performance materials, which derive favorable mechanical, chemical, and electrical characteristics from their long-range molecular order. The unique LCP microstructure gives rise to anisotropic bulk behavior and an understanding of the driving forces behind this morphology is essential to the design of manufacturing processes for isotropic material production. In this investigation, the crystalline orientation in injection molded LCP plaque samples was measured using 2D wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS). The direction of preferred alignment was observed from the WAXS scattering patterns and the degree of orientation in the material was quantified using an order parameter and an anisotropy factor. In addition, the dielectric constant was measured with respect to the mold direction (MD) and transverse direction (TD). To investigate the effects of processing on hierarchal structure in the material, and the resulting macroscopic properties, plaques of two different thicknesses were analyzed, both as-injection molded and with the skin layer mechanically removed. It is shown that preferred orientation along the shear direction in the LCP samples corresponds to dielectric anisotropy, and increasing sample thickness, or conversely, mechanically removing the shear aligned layer, results in a more isotropic dielectric response.


2011 ◽  
Vol 181-182 ◽  
pp. 197-200
Author(s):  
Yu Lei Zhao ◽  
Wei Min Zhang ◽  
Ji Lei Li ◽  
Fan Fan Yu ◽  
Jia Ling Pu

A new type of able liquid crystalline polymer with a coumarin-containing mesogenic side group that could be photo-crosslinked was synthesized in this paper. The structure of the intermediates, monomers and polymers were characterized with FTIR and 1HNMR measurement. DSC, TG, and hot stage polarized optical microscopy were employed to study the phase transition temperature, mesophase texture, and thermal stability of the liquid crystalline polymers. The results indicated that both the monomer and polymer exhibited liquid-crystalline features over a wide temperature range.


2013 ◽  
Vol 721 ◽  
pp. 316-319
Author(s):  
Xiao Tao Wang ◽  
Xiao Tie Ye ◽  
Zhen Hua Li ◽  
Zui Fang Liu

Liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and the copolymer of LCOand Pendant Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsequioxanes (LCP-POSS) showed the first-order photoisomerization reaction. As compared with LCP, the photoisomerization rate constant of LCP-POSS decreased a little. With a higher thermal stability and more stable LC behavior as well as a little decreased photoisomerization rate constant, the incorporation of POSS to azobenzene liquid crystalline polymers may have significant sense and will definitely play a key role in developing novel high-performance optic and photonic nanodevices.


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