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Molecular orientation gradients in thermotropic liquid crystalline fiber
Author(s) -
Taylor Jennifer E.,
RomoUribe Angel,
Libera Matthew R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.374
Subject(s) - thermotropic crystal , materials science , crystallinity , fiber , resolution (logic) , polymer , degree (music) , orientation (vector space) , diffraction , fiber diffraction , crystallography , composite material , liquid crystalline , optics , x ray crystallography , geometry , chemistry , mathematics , artificial intelligence , computer science , acoustics , physics
Abstract The degree of molecular alignment averaged over meso‐length scale areas within thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) fibers has been intensely studied over recent years. In this work, the degree of molecular orientation is found from spatially‐resolved electron diffraction of areas as small as 100 nm in diameter to relieve structural averaging of lower resolution techniques. This investigation reveals that the maximum degree of molecular alignment across a fiber 18 μm in diameter is approximately 1 μm from the fiber surface. Dark‐field imaging shows region with little crystallinity adjacent to the fiber surface. The banded structure, typical of TLCP fibers, is also less apparent in the surface region. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.