Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Science and Technology. Section A. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.254, 109-123, 1994
A Study on the Elastic Properties of an Oriented Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymer
The orientation and mechanical behavior of a Vectra were investigated and the results showed the different orientation manifested due to the shear stresses of the flow fields and elongational forces of the diverging dies. This flow behavior was remarkably similar to that of reinforcing fibers in the thermoplastic matrix. However, the mechanical strength of the TLCP extrudates increased in every direction as the angle of diverging dies or the rotor speed of the screw increased, which makes about contrast TLCP with fiber reinforced composites. Based on this analogy and contrast between TLCPs and FRTP, we proposed a simple composite model to explain the elastic properties of TLCP materials and analyzed the reported experimental data in the light of the proposed model. The result of such analysis illustrated well the role of structural parameters such as the aspect ratio and volume fraction of fibrillar nematic domains.