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Liquid Crystalline Polymers - Structure and Dynamics

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Book cover Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series

Part of the book series: Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series ((POPOC))

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Abstract

This chapter presents a comprehensive review on the flow behavior of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs). The work presented here covers the widely known synthetic LCPs and also its biological counterpart denominated as biological liquid crystalline polymers (BLCPs), which have been recently studied extensively due to their multi-functionality and their very interesting material properties. We focus on their flow behavior and the structure of these materials and its coupled dynamics. Theory, modelling, and simulation aspects are provided through two very well-known theories: (i) the Leslie-Ericksen (L-E) and (ii) the Landau – de Gennes (LdG) theory presenting the compatibility of both theories through the projection of the LdG to the L-E theory. Other aspects that are covered in this chapter are defects and textures since they are essential characteristics of these materials and they are known for affecting the flow behavior of liquid crystalline materials. An in-depth review of physical and rheo-physical defects is presented including defect nucleation and coarsening processes. A wide range of applications of the theory and simulations results are also covered which include transient shear responses, linear viscoelasticity, flow birefringence, banded patterns, and banded textures appearing after cessation of shear flow due to stress relaxation processes. Contrast and comparison with experimental data is also included in this chapter. Moreover, applications in the context new material design and development of BLCs based on reported in vivo and in vitro processes are also provided. The applied theory and simulations provide a new way to extract additional information from experimental rheological data and allow to distinguish the role of liquid crystalline properties such as viscoelasticity and anisotropy, flow-alignment, coupling between orientation, kinematics, and flow kinematics. This comprehensive chapter provides a state-of-the-art review in this field.

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Acknowledgments

ADR was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Compute Canada, Calcul Quebec, and McGill University. EEHV gratefully acknowledges financial support of PASPA for the sabbatical research at the Chemical Engineering Department, McGill University and PAPIIT, PAPIME projects IN115919, PE116519 from DGAPA/UNAM, respectively.

OFAG gratefully acknowledges financial support from CONACYT-MEXICO (Doctoral Grant no 313480). This research is dedicated to the memory of my beloved father Emilio Herrera Caballero.

Thank you so much for your help Dr. Edtson Emilio Herrera Valencia

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Alejandro D. Rey & Oscar F. Aguilar Gutierrez

  2. Laboratorio de Reología y Fenómenos de Transporte, L-7/Primer-Piso; Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Investigación Experimental Zaragoza (UMIEZ), Carrera de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Iztapalapa, Mexico

    Edtson E. Herrera-Valencia

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  1. Alejandro D. Rey
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  2. Edtson E. Herrera-Valencia
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  3. Oscar F. Aguilar Gutierrez
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Correspondence to Alejandro D. Rey .

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Rey, A.D., Herrera-Valencia, E.E., Aguilar Gutierrez, O.F. (2020). Liquid Crystalline Polymers - Structure and Dynamics. In: Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_72-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_72-2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Liquid Crystalline Polymers - Structure and Dynamics
    Published:
    03 June 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_72-2

  2. Original

    Liquid Crystalline Polymers - Structure and Dynamics
    Published:
    11 December 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_72-1

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