Phase properties of hexanedioldiacrylate/E7 blends

Equilibrium phase diagrams of uncured and UV-cured difunctional hexanediold iacrylate and the eutectic mixture of low molecular weight liquid crystals E7 are established by polarized optical microscopy and differential scannin g calorimetry. Data are analyzed using the Maier-Saupe model of nematic ord er. In the case of the uncured system the Flory-Huggins free energy of isot ropic mixing is applied while for the cured system, the Flory-Rehner elasti c free energy model is used. A good correlation between experimental and th eoretical phase diagrams is found in both systems.