STUDIES ON THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS:POLY (ARYLENE TEREPHTHALATECO-HEXAMETHYLENE TEREFHTHALATE)

A series of copolyesters based on terephthaloyl chloride, hexamethylene glycol and hydroquinone or chlorohydroquinone were prepared. The copolymers showed composition-dependent liquid crystalline properties as verified by visual observation of stir-opalescence, polarizing microscope and DSC. The copolyesters with aromatic diol contents over a certain extent (x≥0.2) were thermotropic with wide liquid crystalline temperature ranges. Comparing with the copolyesters based on butylene glycol or ethylene glycol, the minimum fraction of aromatic diol (x value) used to get the liquid crystallinity for all these copolyesters is around 0.2 regardless of the chain lengths of aliphatic glycols. ~1H-NMP studies revealed that copolyesters have microstructure of block sequence distribution and the mesogenie segments shorter than triad with three phenyl nuclei will not provide the liquid crystallinity.     

MELT BLENDS OF POLY (BUTYLEN TEREPHTHALATE) AND A THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMER

With the help of differential scanning calorimetry, cone-plate and capillary rheometry andscanning electron microscopy, a research has been conducted on rheological behavior,crystallization and morphology of poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) blends containing athermotropic LCP. The blend has zero entrance pressure loss, although the LCP has rather largeone. The viscosity curve of the blend lies between those of the LCP and PBT. The crystallizationof PBT is not affected by the presence of the LCP together with no indication oftransesterification between the two ingredients. LCP spheres and ellipsoids with the size of 0. 5--1. 5 μm disperse in PBT matrix uniformly, which is related to the viscosity ratio of the twocomponents.     

THERMAL DEGRADATION OF THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE TERPOLYESTERS BASED ON VANILLIC ACID, p-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID AND POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE )

Nine thermotropic liquid crystalline terpolyesters based on vaniUic acid(V), p-hydroxybenzoic acid(H) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)(E) were investigated by thermogravimetry to ascertain their thermostability and the kinetic parameters for thermal degradation. Overall activation energy data of the degradation had been calculated over the range 5 ～70% weight loss. The temperatures and the activation energy of the degradation lie in the ranges of 384 ～394 ℃at a heating rate of 1℃/min and 176 ～205 KJ/mol at the weight loss of 5%, respectively, which suggests that the terpolyesters have good thermostability.     

MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYESTER——MORPHOLOGY OF SHEAR ORIENTED FILMS

The morphology of shear-oriented films of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polyester containing a triad ester mesogenic unit and a flexible spacer has been investigated in details. The formation conditions and process, the fine structures and the relaxation process of mat structure in the oriented films have been observed and discussed.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLY(ESTER-IMIDE)S

A new series of thermotropic liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide)s were synthesized via a solution polycondensation process.Thepolymers were also characterized by IR,DSC,polarizing microscopy and WAXDmeasurements.     

STUDIES ON THE SEQUENCE STRUCTURE OF TPA/EG/PHB LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS

In this paper, the sequence structure of TPA/EG/PHB liquid crystalline copolyesters made from different synthetic methods has been studied by ~1H-NMR with the help of computer program of processing peaks. The results showed that the ether bonds were not observed in TPA./EG/PHB copolyesters and the synthetic process had a great effect on their sequence structure. Under certain conditions, the high,random TPA/EG/PHB copolyesters which were considered to have higher performances than PET/xPHB could be obtained.     

STUDIES ON CRITICAL CONCENTRATION OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE ETHYLCELLULOSE

Critical concentrations of lyotropic liquid crystalline ethylcellulose in more than tensolvents were determined using both Abbe refractometer and polarized microscopy. Criti-cal concentration C_(crit) of forming liquid crystal phase decreased with increasing solubilityparameter δ of solvent until approaching the δ of polymer. Although the alcohols usedas solvents had the same variation rule, the critical concentration values of their solutionswere much higher, due to their excessive large hydrogen bond component of δ. The experi-ments of using mixed solvents which showed good linear relation between C_(crit) and δ alsoproved this rule. A technique of Transmission Optical Analysis was first used to estimatethe concentration dependence of critical phase transition temperature T_(crit) of EC, and aT-C phase diagram could be drawn.     

EFFECT OF ANNEALING ON MICROSTRUCTURE OF AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS

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THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS-SOLID STATE POLYMORPHISM

This paper offers some new evidence on the polymorphism of solid state of liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters which were prepared in our laboratory. The effects of different treatment conditions(quenching and annealing) on solid structure have been examined mainly by DSC and X-ray diffraction. The discussion focuses on the supercooled mesophase and low temperature solid-solid transition, the shifting of double melting peaks of annealed samples and the changing of their ΔH data depending on the treatment temperature, time and thermal scanning rate.     

THERMAL ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURE STUDIES ON THE BLENDS OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS AND PET, PBT

The apparent uniform blends of liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters and semiflexible polyesters PET or PBT were obtained by mechanical mixing in the molten state within certain range of composition.The effects of blending with liquid crystalline components on the structure of homopolyester matrix were examined by thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. These results suggest that the LC component in the blend may possibly be acting as a nucleating agent, or it may induce axial orientation of molecules promoting the local ordering of matrix. For the blends of PET, these influences mainly display in narrowing the width of cold crystalline peak and enhancing the main peak of x-ray diffraction; and for the blends of PBT, the pre-melting crystalline peak was enhanced.     

LAMELLAR STRUCTURE OF THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS

The lamellar structure of a thermotropic aromatic polyester with flexible spacer has beenstudied by using transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the lamellar structure couldbe observed in the crystalline samples of this semirigid polymer crystallized from different states.The thickness of lamellae is around 10 nm, which is similar to that of the conventional polymersof flexible chain molecules. The molecular chains in the lamellae are oriented in the thicknessdirection as determined by electron diffraction. The possibility of molecular chains folding in the lamellae has been discussed.     

MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF A THERMOTROPIC SIDE-CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMER DURING MESOPHASE TRANSITIONS*

The morphological features of a side-chain liquid crystalline polymer during the mesophasetransitions were investigated by using the DSC technique. The polymer used was polyacrylate with mesogensof three benzene rings attached to the main chain through a flexible spacer. A special two-phase texture wasobserved in the transition temperature range. Similar to main-chain liquid crystalline polymers the transitionprocess of the side-chain liquid crystalline polymer was composed of an initiation of the new phase at localplaces of the old phase matrix and a growth process of the new phase domains.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYAMIDES

A series of novel mesogenic polyamides containing a flexible pendent side group wassynthesized by solution condensation polymerization. The new monomers, diacids and di-amines containing flexible elements of diferent lengths, were also synthesized and character-ized by ~1HNMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The polymers were character-ized by viscosity measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffiactionand polarizing optical microscopy These studies revealed that polyamides containingflexible elements of a sufficient length exhibited thermotropic liquid crystalline(LC) pro-perties. The melting temperatures of this series of polymers were particularly sensitive tothe length of the flexible segment on the main chain and that of the flexible pendent esterside chain. Lyotropic LC behaviours were also observed in solution.     

热致性液晶聚合物芳族聚甲亚胺的研究

本文介绍了几种具有中介相结构及非中介相结构的双-甲亚胺的模型化合物及三种芳族聚亚胺的合成。研完了分子链的柔性、分子结构和共轭度对中介相转变温度的影响。     

STUDIES ON EPOXY RESINS MODIFIED WITH POLY (BUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE)-b-POLY (TETRAMETHYLENE GLYCOL)

Poly(butylene terephthalate )-b-poly (tetramethylene glycol) (PBT-b-PTMG) was usedas rheology modifier for the epoxy resin. The segmental copolymer formed spherulites inthe epoxy medium. This copolymer was very effective in endowing yield stresses to theliquid resin. The PTMG segment brought in a lowering of the dissolution temperature ofthe spherulites in the epoxy gel. The cured resin with PBT-b-PTMG as modifier was two-phase materials. The rheology modifier improved the mechanical properties of the curedresin as well. The flexible PTMG segments, however, were not in favour of the tougheningeffect of the modifier. This was attributed to the large domain size of the dispersed phase.     

STUDY ON LIQUID CRYSTALLINITY OF POLY(N-VINYLCARBAZOLE)

The liquid crystallinity of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) was studied by using powder X-ray diffraction, polarized opticalmicroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the lower molecular weight fractions of this polymerdo not form a liquid crystalline phase, while the samples of sufficiently high molecular weight do form a mesophase attemperatures above the glass transition. The lowest value of the degree of polymerization for PVK to form a stable liquidcrystalline phase was found to be in the range of 150 to 200, significantly higher than the value of 50 for most conventionalside chain liquid crystaline polymers.