3-DIMENSIONAL ORDERING IN LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLY(ALKYL-4,4'-DIPHENOXY TEREPHTHALATE)S

The kinetics of three dimensional ordering from the mesophase and from the isotropic state have been studied for poly(alkyl-4,4'-diphenoxy t erephthalate)s with penta-, hexa- and hepta-methylenic spacers, using differential scanning calorimetry. The rates of transformation from th e mesophase have been related with the previous conditioning temperatu re of the sample and the length of the spacer, and Avrami exponents of two and three have been found. The rate from the isotropic state have been measured for the penta and hepta derivatives and Avrami exponent s of four and two, respectively, have been found. The interfacial free energies have been obtained from the temperature coefficient and disc ussed in terms of the process and the structure.