Physical blends containing macromolecular compounds and low molecular weight liquid crystals (LCs) have important applications. LCs are used as reinforcements for amorphous polymers or in display devices. The addition...Physical blends containing macromolecular compounds and low molecular weight liquid crystals (LCs) have important applications. LCs are used as reinforcements for amorphous polymers or in display devices. The addition of LCs to amorphous polymers determines improvements in the mechanical properties of polymeric composites. Due to their mechanical anisotropy, which results from molecular alignment, the LC molecules may orient themselves in the shear field of a processing operation. Upon cooling, this orientation may impart to the composites some improvements in the mechanical properties similar with that found with fibrous reinforcements, but with the advantage that the additive acts also as a plasticizer. The glass transition temperature and the viscosity of the blend are lower than those of the starting polymer.展开更多
文摘Physical blends containing macromolecular compounds and low molecular weight liquid crystals (LCs) have important applications. LCs are used as reinforcements for amorphous polymers or in display devices. The addition of LCs to amorphous polymers determines improvements in the mechanical properties of polymeric composites. Due to their mechanical anisotropy, which results from molecular alignment, the LC molecules may orient themselves in the shear field of a processing operation. Upon cooling, this orientation may impart to the composites some improvements in the mechanical properties similar with that found with fibrous reinforcements, but with the advantage that the additive acts also as a plasticizer. The glass transition temperature and the viscosity of the blend are lower than those of the starting polymer.
