| Abstract: | A molecular laminate model is used to explain the properties of unoriented and oriented films of poly(p-phenylene-2,5-didodecyloxyterephthalate) cast from solution. In oriented films the two different crystal modifications, A and B, give rise to room temperature tensile moduli of 15 and 30 GPa respectively. The packing (in clusters) of the side chains in modification A, leading to a glass–like transition in the side-chain regions around ?40°C, is largely responsible for this difference. Oriented films of modification A and B have coefficients of thermal expansion of +0.3×10?5 and ?1× 10?5 K?1 respectively. It is concluded that the properties of this class of polymers can be adjusted in a systematic way. |
