Liquid Crystalline Polymers

The remarkable mechanical properties and thermal stability of fibers fabricated from liquid crystalline polymers LCPs have led to the use of these materials in structural applications where weight savings are critical. Advances in processing of LCPs could permit the incorporation of these polymers into other than uniaxial designs and extend their utility into new areas such as nonlinear optical devices. However, the unique feature of LCPs--intrinsic orientation order--is itself problematic, and current understanding of processing with control of orientation falls short of allowing manipulation of macroscopic orientation except for the case of uniaxial fibers. This report reviews the current and desirable characteristics of LCPs and identifies specific problems and issues that must be addressed so that advances in the use of these unique polymers can be expedited. Keywords Liquid crystalline polymers LCPs Fibers Thermotropic Lyotropic Processing Rheology Nonlinear optical properties Blends Composites.