• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.217-227
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• 2004

A new thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) containing a triad aromatic ester type mesogenic unit and butylene terephthalate unit(BT) in the main chain was synthesized by polycondensation reaction. The TLCP synthesized showed nematic mesophasic behavior and its transition temperature from solid to mesophase was $260^{\circ}C$. The TLCP/PBT blends were prepared by in-situ polymerization in PBT solution and characterized by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), thermogavimetric analyzer(TGA), scanning electron microscope(SEM), x-ray diffractometer(XRD), and dynamic mechanical thermal analyze, (DMTA). The blends showed well dispersed TLCP phases with domain sizes $0.05{\sim}0.2{\mu}m$ in the PBT matrix. As the increasing TLCP content from 5 to 20 wt%, ${\Delta}Hm$ values of pure PBT in the blend were increased because TLCP acts as a nucleating agent in the PBT matrix. The mechanical properties of the blends depended on the TLCP contents because the TLCP acted effectively as a reinforcing material in the PBT matrix. The blends showed good interfacial adhesion between the TLCP phase and PBT matrix.The blends prepared by in-situ polymerization showed higher mechanical properties and well dispersed TLCP domains than those of the blends prepared by melt blending.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.195-205
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• 2004

We have synthesized new aromatic polyesters (DiPEG-HQ and DiPEG-BP) by condensation polymerization of a terephthalic acid derivative bearing a pendant oligo(oxyethylene) (DP = 7, MW = 350), which has a methoxy terminal group, and two different aromatic diols, hydroquinone and 4,4'-biphenoI. The synthesized polymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry for their liquid crystallinity (LC), thermal transitions, and structural morphologies in mesophases. The morphology of the LC phases depends strongly on the length of the rigid backbone repeating unit. The DiPEG-BP polymer having a longer repeating unit exhibits both layered and nematic structures before isotropization, whereas the DiPEG-HQ polymer having a shorter repeating unit shows only the layered structure in the mesophase. We found that the layer spacing for DiPEG-HQ is larger than that for DiPEG-BP. Both polymers easily form complexes with LiCF$_3$SO$_3$; we studied this complex formation by FT-IR spectroscopy. The layer spacing of the polymer-electrolyte composites increases upon increasing the amount of the lithium salt. The polymer/salt electrolyte mixtures we investigated at molar ratios of EO:salt in the range of 5-20 exhibit electrical conductivity values at 40$^{\circ}C$ of 2.4${\times}$10$\^$5/ and 1.1${\times}$10$\^$－5/ S/cm for DiPEG-HQ/LiCF$_3$SO$_3$ and DiPEG-BP/LiCF$_3$SO$_3$, respectively. At 80 $^{\circ}C$, these values are higher: 4.6${\times}$10$\^$－3/ and 1.1${\times}$10$\^$－4/ S/cm, respectively. The activation energy of conductivity depends strongly on the salt concentration.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.161-168
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• 2014

New self-assembled discotic liquid crystals have been prepared through single hydrogen bonding between phenol and pyridine moieties, and their liquid crystalline properties were investigated. For the construction of discotic structure, we used phloroglucinol as a core molecule and trans-4-alkoxy-4'-stilbazoles with systematically varied alkyl chain lengths as peripheral units. FTIR results showed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between core and peripheral molecules are successfully formed, and the stability of the hydrogen bond is strongly influenced by molecular ordering. Discotic complexes exhibited different liquid crystalline phases depending on the length of alkyl chains around the discotic mesogen. The discotic complexes with longer alkyl chains showed hexagonal columnar mesophases, while the other complexes formed nematic columnar mesophases. These results indicated that the type of mesophase structure was strongly dependent on the alkyl chain length around the aromatic core.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.244-257
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• 2002

A thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) which has flexible butylene/hexylene spacers in the main chain and a triad aromatic ester type mesogenic unit containing a naphthyl group was prepared by solution polycondensation. The in-situ composites based on poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) and a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) were prepared and melt spun at different TLCP contents and different draw ratios to produce monofilaments. Blends of the TLCP with PEN were investigated in terms of thermal, mechanical properties and morphology. The TLCP synthesized showed nematic mesophasic behavior and its transition temperature to isotropic melt from mesophase was 249℃. The blends showed well dispersed TLCP phases in the PEN matrix without macroscopic phase separation. Inclusion of TLCP in the blends decreased the cold crystallization temperature of PEN in the blend, therefore, the TLCP acts as a nucleating agent in the blend and showed good interfacial adhesion between the dispersed LCP phases and PEN matrix with domain sizes 40~50 nm in diameter and well developed fibrillation in the monofilaments. The TLCP acted effectively as a reinforcing material in the PEN matrix at the 10wt% level, it led to an increase of initial modulus up to 270% and tensile strength by 235%, while the elongation rate increasing with higher draw ratios.