Phase separation kinetics of an SA liquid crystal in a reactive epoxy-amine PDLC system: an X-ray diffraction study

A Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal composite based upon a smectic liquid cr ystal and reactive cross-linkable epoxide-amine monomers was studied. The c omposite material is obtained by a polymerization induced phase separation process. The polymerization and the phase separation kinetics are both moni tored. The polymerization induced phase separation is detected and quantita tively monitored by X-ray diffraction. The normalized X-ray intensity is us ed to calculate a phase separation rate and to define the phase separation kinetics which is compared to the polymerization rate and to the polymeriza tion kinetics. The rate difference accounts for changes in morphology.