Liquid crystallization in lyotropic liquid crystalline polymers

Kinetics of the phase transition from isotropic to liquid crystal state, which is by analogy termed as liquid crystallization, was reported for the poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)/H2SO4 system. Experimental results show that the effect of the temperature on the liquid crystallization process is marked while the polymer concentration within the experimental condition employed has a negligible influence. Some preliminary results also indicate that the liquid crystallization process is accelerated considerably after an external shearing is applied. Assuming that the liquid crystallization is a nucleation followed by the growth process, a theoretical approach was attempted in this work. The theory developed provides a reasonable interpretation of the liquid crystallization kinetics in the lyotropic liquid crystalline polymers.