Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polymer Parameters Chemical structure –Chemical composition and distribution –Sequence length and distribution Molecular weight and distribution Chain isomerism Morphology Topology Additives Cost
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Hierarchical Fiber Morphology “skin” “core” macrofibril (~1 µ m diameter) microfibril (50 nm)
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Folded Chain Crystal Habit polymer melt crystallization
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polytehylene
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polyethylene
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Fiber Drawing semicrystalline lamellae microfibril
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Mechanical Properties crystalline amorphous6 GPa 320 GPa microfibril
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Mesogens (liquid crystals)
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Crystal & Isotropic Liquid Long-range order - orientational - translational
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polyphenyls
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Crystal Mesophase Isotropic
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Nematic LC Long-range order - orientational
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polyphenyls
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 N versus S A
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 N, S A, S C
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Typical Calamitic Mesogen n = 6
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Mesogens
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Calamitic vs. Discotic Nematics
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Polymer Liquid Crystals
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 PLCs Thermodynamics
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCPs) 1970’s: lyotropic LCPs (Kevlar) - ultra-high strength fibers 1980’s: thermotropic Polyesters - stronger, low CTE, low viscosity,
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Ultra-high Strength Polymers Poly(p-benzamide)s 1967 Stephanie Kwolek & Paul Morgan (DuPont) react diamines with diacids
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 “Stronger than steel?”
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Origin of Strength? “skin” “core” macrofibril (~1 mm diameter) microfibril (50 nm) extended-chain crystal habit
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 I to N Transition
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCPs) 1970’s: lyotropic LCPs (Kevlar) - ultra-high strength fibers 1980’s: thermotropic Polyesters - stronger, low CTE, low viscosity, Key: Inexpensive monomers.
Polymer Synthesis CHEM 421 Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCPs) Some introductory literature E. T. Samulski “The Mesomorphic State”, Chapter 5 in Physical Properties of Polymers, 3 rd Edt, Cambridge University Press (2004) D. Acierno and A. A. Collyer, Rheology and Processing of Liquid Crystal Polymers, Chapman & Hall (1996) N. A. Plate, Editor. Liquid Crystalline Polymers, Plenum Press, NY (1993). A. A. Collyer, Edt. Liquid Crystal Polymers: From Structures to Applications, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London (1992). A. M. Donald and A. H. Windle, Liquid Crystalline Polymers, Cambridge University Press (1991)