Liquid crystalline epoxy resin based on biphenyl mesogen: Effect of magnetic field orientation during cure

A biphenyl based epoxy monomer, 4,4′-diglycidyloxybiphenyl (BP), was synthesized and cured with a tetra-functional amine, sulfanilamide (SAA), to obtain a liquid crystalline epoxy network. The curing behavior of BP with SAA was studied using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and parallel plate rheology. Macroscopic orientation of the liquid crystalline epoxy resins (LCERs) was achieved by curing in a high strength magnetic field, and quantified by an orientation parameter determined with wide angle X-ray diffraction. The effects of orientation on the glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, and dynamic mechanical properties of the LCERs were investigated. The results reveal that the formation of the liquid crystalline phase has a dramatic influence on the curing reaction, leading to a decrease in viscosity of the reacting system. Oriented LCERs exhibit anisotropic thermal expansion behavior and significant improvements of thermomechanical properties.