Star LCPs

Figure 1. Structures of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) (A) rigid rod LCP [25, 65] (B) main chain LCP with flexible spacer [26] (C) side group LCP with flexible spacer [27] (D) combined main/side group LCP [28] (E) side group LCP without flexible spacer or mesogen jacketed LCP [29], (F) well-defined three-arm star [30] (G) LC dendrimer [33].

The proportionality between N and y has been observed at low deformation rates for concentrated LCP solutions in cresol [Kiss and Porter, 1980 Moldenaers and Mewis, 1992], for colloidal and noncolloidal suspensions, and fiber suspensions in a Newtonian matrix [Zirnsak et al., 1994], as well as for block copolymers and multibranched star polymers [Brady and Bossis, 1985 Kotaka and Watanabe, 1987 Masuda et al., 1987 English et al., 1997]. For LCP this behavior was considered originating in polydomain flow [Larson and Doi, 1991], while for rigid fiber suspensions in interparticle interactions [Zirnsak et al., 1994]. It is tempting to postulate that the clay platelet orientation is the origin of the difference. Evidently, the scan direction and the pre-shearing time between data points affect the orientation, but the proportionality Ni =ay and complexity of the ) = f(y) dependence remain. The Larson-Doi [1991] theory of polydomain flow leads to... 

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