The physical structure of solids from liquid-crystal polymers

6 The physical structure of solids from liquid-crystal polymers 

Main-chain LCPs that exhibit nematic order tend towards pseudo-hexagonal packing in the liquid-crystalline state. Wide-angle X-ray-diffraction 

One of the most important features of extruded and moulded articles is the presence of a skin-core structure caused by high shear gradients in the flowing polymer close to the die or mould surface, which induce high orientation. In rods or other extrudates the skin-core effect can be removed by subsequent drawing to increase the overall orientation of the sample this cannot, of course, be done for mouldings. 

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