Abstract
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) remain the fascinating class of polymeric
material due to the useful combination of physical properties. As the name
suggests, LCPs, the class of the macromolecules, possess both the properties of
solid and liquid that generate astonishing property in this new and interesting
class of materials. These polymers can be of many types depending on the
position and type of the mesogenic units in the molecular architecture. LCPs
are mainly classified as main-chain, side-chain, crosslinked, etc. made of nematic,
smectic, cholesteric, and other mesophases. The orientational properties of LCPs
are an important aspect to determine the utility of this particular class of material.
The molecules in LCP arrange and align themselves in the longitudinal direction
more or less in the transverse direction. This fundamental characteristic of LCPs
decides many important properties such as mechanical strength, thermal properties, etc. As a result, these LCPs find applications in several areas such as
electrical or electronics, information technologies, medical, aircraft, fiber optics,
chemical and domestic equipment, etc., due to the excellent thermal conductivity,
good dielectric strength, resistance to solvents, and high dimensional stability.
This chapter provides a concise yet informative overview of LCPs starting from
its origin, types, synthesis methodologies, essential properties, and application
areas. This article also provides a comprehensive overview of the underlined
physics behind this structural arrangement leading to molecular anisotropy in the
material. The commercial aspects such as processing of this material, how this
material differs from the conventional polymer in view of engineering aspects,
which make them distinct have been highlighted. Basically this chapter provides
a fundamental understanding of this wonderful material in a nutshell.
Keywords
Alignment · Anisotropy · Birefringence · Chemical resistance · Cholesteric ·
Dielectric constant · Director · Liquid crystals · Liquid crystalline polymers ·
Lyotropic · Mesogens · Mechanical strength · Molecular domains · Modulus ·
Mesophase · Monodomain · Nematic · Network structure · Orientation ·
Processing · Smectic · Spinning · Supramolecular structure · Thermal expansion ·
Thermotropic
Definition
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) with specific mesogen features are the polymers
of specific class having distinct properties compared to the conventional polymers.
They exhibit a combination of properties of liquid and solid crystal leading to
distinct behavior. These polymers find applications in numerous areas of research
from medical, chemical, electrical, optical, mechanical, and many more due to the
tunable orientational properties that distinguish them from the traditional class of
polymers.
2
S. Banerjee and K. K. Kar
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) remain the fascinating class of polymeric
material due to the useful combination of physical properties. As the name
suggests, LCPs, the class of the macromolecules, possess both the properties of
solid and liquid that generate astonishing property in this new and interesting
class of materials. These polymers can be of many types depending on the
position and type of the mesogenic units in the molecular architecture. LCPs
are mainly classified as main-chain, side-chain, crosslinked, etc. made of nematic,
smectic, cholesteric, and other mesophases. The orientational properties of LCPs
are an important aspect to determine the utility of this particular class of material.
The molecules in LCP arrange and align themselves in the longitudinal direction
more or less in the transverse direction. This fundamental characteristic of LCPs
decides many important properties such as mechanical strength, thermal properties, etc. As a result, these LCPs find applications in several areas such as
electrical or electronics, information technologies, medical, aircraft, fiber optics,
chemical and domestic equipment, etc., due to the excellent thermal conductivity,
good dielectric strength, resistance to solvents, and high dimensional stability.
This chapter provides a concise yet informative overview of LCPs starting from
its origin, types, synthesis methodologies, essential properties, and application
areas. This article also provides a comprehensive overview of the underlined
physics behind this structural arrangement leading to molecular anisotropy in the
material. The commercial aspects such as processing of this material, how this
material differs from the conventional polymer in view of engineering aspects,
which make them distinct have been highlighted. Basically this chapter provides
a fundamental understanding of this wonderful material in a nutshell.
Keywords
Alignment · Anisotropy · Birefringence · Chemical resistance · Cholesteric ·
Dielectric constant · Director · Liquid crystals · Liquid crystalline polymers ·
Lyotropic · Mesogens · Mechanical strength · Molecular domains · Modulus ·
Mesophase · Monodomain · Nematic · Network structure · Orientation ·
Processing · Smectic · Spinning · Supramolecular structure · Thermal expansion ·
Thermotropic
Definition
Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) with specific mesogen features are the polymers
of specific class having distinct properties compared to the conventional polymers.
They exhibit a combination of properties of liquid and solid crystal leading to
distinct behavior. These polymers find applications in numerous areas of research
from medical, chemical, electrical, optical, mechanical, and many more due to the
tunable orientational properties that distinguish them from the traditional class of
polymers.
2
S. Banerjee and K. K. Kar