Shear-induced Stabilization of the Nematic Phase in a Side Group-containing Poly (aryl ether ketone) Copol ymer

Polarized optical microscopes(POM) are commonly used to identify liquid crystalline tex tures. However, it is often found problematic to employ this technique in investigating the mesophase transition of polymeric materials due to their higher viscosities. Rheological mea surements at this juncture could provide us with valuable information about the mesophase transition of liquid crystalline polymers1]. Accordingly, there have been some rheological in vestigations reported on thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers(TLCPs) due to the high sen sitivity of their rheological response to the morphological variation of the polymers2～5].Introduction Polarized optical microscopes(POM) are commonly used to identify liquid crystalline tex tures. However, it is often found problematic to employ this technique in investigating the mesophase transition of polymeric materials due to their higher viscosities. Rheological mea surements at this juncture could provide us with valuable information about the mesophase transition of liquid crystalline polymers1]. Accordingly, there have been some rheological in vestigations reported on thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers(TLCPs) due to the high sen sitivity of their rheological response to the morphological variation of the polymers2～5].