THERMOOPTIC OBSERVATIONS ON A MAIN-CHAIN THERMOTROPIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL POLYMER

The morphological transitions of a main-chain liquid crystalline chrom ophoric polymer in which all of the electric dipole moments were arran ged head-to-tail were investigated using the techniques of small-angle light scattering, x-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and polarised optical microscopy. Above 96-degrees-C the material dev eloped a birefringent nematic texture followed, at temperatures higher than 141-degrees-C, by a monotropic structure which was retained unti l the onset of thermal degradation. Under certain heating/cooling regi mes non-centrosymmetric solid polymer films with low scattering charac teristics could be prepared.