Sx. Cheng et al., Novel thin-film polymerization and time evolution of liquid crystal texture during polymerization, CHEM ENG SC, 54(5), 1999, pp. 663-674
We have developed a novel thin-film polymerization technique to in situ exa
mine and analyze polycondensation reactions and liquid crystal texture evol
ution for wholly aromatic liquid crystal copolymers poly(p-oxybenzoate/2,6-
oxynaphthoate) (P(OBA/ONA)) as well as homopolymers poly(p-oxybenzoate) (PO
BA) and poly(2,6-oxynaphthoate) (PONA). The polycondensation reactions were
conducted on the heating stage of a polarizing microscope at various tempe
ratures and were characterized by FTIR. During the early stage of the react
ion, liquid crystal areas increased through two mechanisms. One was domain
growth of single droplet, and the other was coalescence by welding adjacent
droplets. The former was mainly driven by chemical factor of chain growth,
while the later was driven by both chemical factor of chain growth and phy
sical factor of reducing system energy. The rate of liquid crystal area inc
reasing was much faster in the case of coalescence. The progress of crystal
lization during the late stage of polymerization was found to be strongly d
ependent on the system morphology. Crystallization occurred rapidly if ther
e was no stripe texture. Otherwise, crystallization was retarded or suppres
sed. For P(OBA/ONA) copolymers, the appearance of stripe texture was determ
ined by monomer composition and reaction temperature. While for both POBA a
nd PONA homopolymer systems, no stripe texture but only crystallization has
ever been observed in the late stage of the reactions in our experimental
temperature range. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.