MULTIPLE AND INTER-RELATED RELAXATION MECHANISMS IN THE MESOPHASE OF SIDE-CHAIN LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYSILOXANES - A THERMALLY STIMULATED CURRENTS STUDY

The thermally stimulated discharge currents technique was used to stud y the relaxations above the glass transition temperature in two side-c hain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes. Taking into account the molecul ar structure of the mesogenic side groups, the results seem to show th at the observed relaxations are associated with reorientation of the t ransverse and longitudinal components of the mesogenic side groups. Mo reover, the thermally stimulated spectrum obtained for one of the poly mers shows interesting behaviour which can be ascribed to a coupling b etween the modes of motion associated with the relaxation processes ob served in the liquid crystalline phase. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.