Structure and phase transitions of a liquid crystalline polymer

The structures, textures as well as thermodynamic properties of a side chain polymer exhibiting a liquid crystalline phase in addition to a partially crystalline state and the isotropic fluid state were investigated. Furthermore the kinetics of phase transitions between these states were analyzed. It was found that the properties of this polymer are intermediate between that of low molecular weight liquid crystals and common polymers. In particular it was observed that the relation between the liquid crystalline texture and the structure is different from that of low molecular weight liquid crystals and that the properties of the crystalline and liquid crystalline state depend strongly on t…