EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF SURFACE-TENSION CRITERIA FOR ALIGNMENT BEHAVIOR OF LIQUID-CRYSTALS ON SOLID-SURFACES

Experimental verification has been carried out the surface tension dif ference criteria for liquid crystal alignment on solid surfaces. Organ ic polymer films, with surface tension values controlled from 16.0 to 44.8 mN/m (which includes the surface tension of liquid crystal ZLI-11 32) were examined. On films thick enough to avoid undesirable topologi cal effects (>80 nm), the surface tension value at which the surface c hanged from a homogeneous to a homeotropic alignment was 31.2 mN/m, wh ich is very close to the 31+/-0.5 mN/m value of ZLI-1132.