Structure Property Relationships in Liquid Crystalline Thermosets

摘要

This report describes our work investigating structure property relationships in liquid crystalline thermoset (LCT's). Among the improved properties expected for LCT's compared to conventional thermosets are improved chemical resistance, resistance to environmental changes, and enhanced mechanical properties. The main objective for this work is to understand the relationships among molecular structure, phase transitions, cunning behavior, and properties for these unique materials. The morphology of LCT's can be understood as a complicated interaction between the liquid crystalline order and the network structure, which are both in turn affected by molecular architecture and cure behavior. Relating these structural parameters to the resulting properties will provide the basic structure-property relationships. In particular, LCT's will exhibit behavior that is characteristics of both ordered liquid crystals and highly crosslinked thermosets. We have investigated the synthesis, cure behavior, thermal stability, mechanical properties and interaction with water.