Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol.39, No.10, 1903-1912, 1999
Control of orientation in liquid crystalline epoxies via magnetic field processing
We demonstrate control over the orientation of the 4,4'-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)-alpha-methylstilbene (EPAMS)/sulfanilamide (SAA) epoxy system. A statistical experimental design was generated and analyzed to determine the effects of the time in the magnetic field, field strength, and the amount of B-staging. A regression model with a coefficient of determination, R-2, of 0.8577 was calculated to predict the orientation parameter for the input variables. An optimization study was also conducted to check the prediction of the orientation parameters by the model. The model can predict the experimentally measured orientation in regions where the model predicts physically realistic values for the orientation.
Keywords:MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES;THERMOTROPIC COPOLYESTERS;MOLECULAR-ORIENTATION;POLYMER BLENDS;KINETICS;THERMOSETS;ALIGNMENT