Polymer Liquid Crystals Series – serie

This book explains the principles underlying the flow of liquid crystal polymers and of blends involving these materials, and how the rheological properties influence processing behaviour. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with rheology but not with liquid crystalline polymers. It is written by an international group of authors.

This is the third in a series of volumes exploring the structure, properties and potential applications of polymer liquid crystals (PLCs). It covers mechanical and thermophysical properties of a variety of PLCs, as well as their formation and morphology. One of the main applications of PLCs is as mechanical reinforcement of engineering polymers, because of their stabilities at higher service temperatures and lower thermal expansion.

may never overcome the effects of hysteresis and stress (see Chapters 6 and 12). The first sentence of the reference work, Handbook of Liquid Crystals, reads: The terms liquid crystals, crystalline liquid, mesophase, and mesomorphous state are used synonymously to describe a state of aggregation that exhibits a molecular order in a size range similar to that of a crystal but acts more or less as a viscous liquid: [2] In other words, molecules within a liquid crystalline phase possess some orientational order and lack positional order; furthermore, the shape of a liquid crystalline sample is determined by the vessel in which it is contained rather than by the orientational order of its aggregated molecules. The authors recognized the limitations and imprecision of this definition but, like others preceding them, could not devise a simple and generally applicable one that is better. Regardless, the terms 'liquid crystal' and 'mesophase' should not be used interchangeably. As mentioned above, all liquid crystals are mesophases, but all mesophases are not liquid crystals. Recent studies, employing elaborate and sophisticated analytical techniques, have permitted finer distinctions between classical crystals and mesophases. At the same time, they have made definitions like that from the Handbook of Liquid Crystals somewhat obsolete for reasons other than terminology. One part of the problem arises from the use of a combination of bulk properties (like flow) and microscopic properties (like molecular ordering) within the same definition.

The subject of liquid crystals and their use in electronic displays and in non-linear optical systems has become of tremendous importance during the last decade; and the incorporation of liquid crystal units into polymeric materials has led to a group of new materials with diverse properties. Some of these properties have been utilized in new products and some have yet to be used. Much published work has appeared that deals with specific materials or particular applications, and it was felt that a book was needed to examine and explain the underlying principles governing the diverse properties of these liquid crystal polymers, LCPs. The current work describes the diverse nature of LCPs, their synthesis, characterization, properties and finally their applications. It describes the manner in which liquid crystallinity or mesomorphism occurs in small molecules, monomer liquid crystals and polymer liquid crystals. Chapter 1 gives a classification of the various ways in which the meso­ gens may be connected to the polymer chains. Currently, the bulk of LCP material is based on main chain or longitudinal LCPs for use in engineering applications. The side chain or comb polymers are intended for use in electronics and opto-electronic systems and as surfactants. Many other variants and possibilities exist but their properties have not yet been fully studied or used. In this respect it is hoped that the current work will indicate future possibilities as well as discussing current opinion. v Preface vi Chapters 2 and 3 describe methods of characterizing the mesophases.