The influence of polymer on optical and thermal properties of nematic liquid crystals

Abstract

Abstract Polymer is substance which consists of large number of molecules and plays a very important in our everyday life. In the present study the effect of different concentration of polymer Poly Methyl Methacrylate on the optical and thermal properties of nematic liquid crystal were investigated. The polymer was dispersed in the liquid crystal by polymerization induced phase separation method. The physical properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. We found various textures according to the molecular order and orientation of the liquid crystal and polymer in constrained regions separated by phase boundaries. These composite materials can be used to enhance contrast ratio with more stability for display application and smart window.