Liquid crystalline polymers - manipulating the mesophase

Liquid crystalline polymers are well established in the market and with product lines well defined, industrial intention is focused on cost-reduction, processing to non-uniaxial orientation distributions and improving products mechanical performance in shear and compression. New chemistries, such as large bent-rigid or banana-like mesogens have the potential to influence the mechanical properties through the formation of biaxial nematic textures. The highly H-bonded benzimidazole monomers, confirm the importance of lateral chain interactions in the development of shear and compressive properties. Controlled changes in backbone architecture illustrate the range of transition temperatures available from a fixed monomer set.