ADVANCED MATERIALS - TRENDS AND POSSIBILITIES IN LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS

During the past ten years there has been a sharp increase in interest in the opportunities afforded by R & D in the field of specialty polymers. Interest is mainly being shown in two distinct categories of polymers, namely, a) polymers which are used in very small quantities to fulfill critical needs as a part of device system, and b) high-performance engineering polymers which significantly extend their mechanical and thermal properties for structural applications. The first category ranges from advanced resists and insulating layers for microelectronic devices to membranes for filtration systems. The second category encompasses improved matrices for advanced composites as well as liquid crystalline polymers. In the present paper an overview is first given of the emerging opportunities for advanced materials and particularly specialty polymers. The status of work on liquid crystalline copolyesters is then discussed with special emphasis on one of the major problems confronting this field, namely interpreting the microstructure of the copolyesters.