Isotropic glassy state

Polymers with flexible spacer groups. Polymers obtained by precipitation or by casting films from solutions were found to be amorphous as shown by X-ray and microscopical observations. The DSC data revealed that on heating up the samples for the first time a stepwise increase of the specific heat occurred which could be attributed to a glass transition. Thus at room temperature the as received samples were in the isotropic glassy state, apparently no liquid crystalline solutions exist. 

Cr Cub, Cubv d E G HT Iso Isore l LamN LaniSm/col Lamsm/dis LC LT M N/N Rp Rh Rsi SmA Crystalline solid Spheroidic (micellar) cubic phase Bicontinuous cubic phase Layer periodicity Crystalline E phase Glassy state High temperature phase Isotropic liquid Re-entrant isotropic phase Molecular length Laminated nematic phase Correlated laminated smectic phase Non-correlated laminated smectic phase Liquid crystal/Liquid crystalline Low temperature phase Unknown mesophase Nematic phase/Chiral nematic Phase Perfluoroalkyl chain Alkyl chain Carbosilane chain Smectic A phase (nontilted smectic phase)... 

G glassy state, Dl discotic lamella phase, Nd discotic nematic phase, Colhi hexagonal columnar phase, I isotropic phase... 

Isotropic glasses are characterized by relaxation processes, which are directly related to the nonequilibrium nature of the glassy state. Similar processes should also occur in liquid crystalline glasses. Enthalpy relaxation was observed for samples, which had been annealed below the glass transition temperature for several hours, proving the non-equilibrium nature of smectic and nematic glasses. 

Figure 3. Polymer/monomer state diagram of p-methyl, p -acryloyloxyazoxybenzene obtained by polarizing microscopy Mp composition (weight fraction of polymer). Characteristic points ( ), decreasing birefringence CY), mesomorphic transition mesomorphic melting (%), solidus (O), liquidus. The meaning of the areas (A), isotropic liquid (B), isotropic liquid -j- mesomorphic plasticized polymer (C), liquid (D), glassy states of plasticized polymer in mesomorphic phase (E), crystalline monomer -f mesomorphic plasticized polymer in the glassy state (F), crystalline monomer -j-mesomorphic plasticized polymer in the liquid state (G), mesomorphic monomer -f mesomorphic plasticized polymer in the liquid state.

It has been found by DSC measurements that the phase behavior of the elastomers is analogous to the phase behavior of the linear polymers . Starting at high temperatures in the isotropic rubbery state a transformation to the liquid crystalline rubbery state by decreasing temperature is observed. By further cooling dovi/n the elastomers become glassy at T. ... 

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