Lyotropic liquid crystal polymers for engineering applications

Abstract

The use of lyotropic liquid crystal polymers such as Kevlar and Twaron in high tech engineering applications has been common for many years. These materials possess excellent temperature resistance and very good mechanical properties. These two materials are polyaramids, but the newer polybenzazoles are also of a liquid crystal nature when present in appropriate solvents. Their rigid rod structures make it possible for these materials to form composite structures with isotropic polymers, where the fibre reinforcement is on a molecular level. This is a unique and very interesting possibility which has yet to be fully developed.

MST/1254