THERMOOPTICAL PROPERTIES OF A POLYMER-DISPERSED LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYMER

A side-chain liquid crystalline polymer dispersed into an amorphous po lymer matrix can be used as a thermo-optical device that exhibits scat tering at low temperatures and becomes transparent when heated above t he clearing temperature of the Liquid crystalline polymer. The blend o f the side-chain liquid crystalline polymer and the UV-polymerizable m onomer is yet two-phasic before polymerization and exhibits some addit ional phase separation during polymerization. Especially the thermal s tability, but also the mechanical stability, of the thermo-optical dev ice is considerably improved when dispersing a Liquid crystalline poly mer instead of a low molar mass liquid crystal into a polymer matrix.