Abstract
We give some theoretical predictions concerning the mechanical, optical and electrical properties of weak networks made with nematic polymers. The network may be permanently crosslinked, or may exist only in transient states, and be due only to physical entanglements. We construct an elastic theory involving both the deformations of the gel and the distortions of the director field. We conclude that weak gels may show some interesting mechanooptic properties.
1 The following text expands on one particular point of the oral presentation, which covered various features of polymers confined in sheets, or tubes. A general review on confined polymers can be found in [5] below.
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Notes and References
See for instance, P.G. de Gennes, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, Oxford, 3d printing (1980).
H. Finkelmann, these proceedings p. 238
F. Brochard, J. de Phys. 40, 1049 (1979).
J. Ferry, Viscoelastic Properties of Polymers, Willy, N.Y. (1970).
W. Graessley, Adv. Pol. Sci. 16 (1974).
P.G. de Gennes, Scaling Concepts in Polymer Physics, Cornell U.P., Ithaca, N.Y. (1979).
P.G. de Gennes, Comptes Rendu Acad. Sci. Paris, 281 B, 101 (1975).
J.P. Jarry, These Université Paris 6 (1978).
P.G. de Gennes, Molecular Crystals Letters 34, 177 (1977).
In the present case the usual relation between k-1 and L might be upset because the splay elastic constant K1 is much larger than the bend constant K3.
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© 1980 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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de Gennes, P.G. (1980). Weak Nematic Gels. In: Helfrich, W., Heppke, G. (eds) Liquid Crystals of One- and Two-Dimensional Order. Springer Series in Chemical Physics, vol 11. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67848-6_48
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67848-6_48
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-67850-9
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