Shintaro Komatsu

Novel Liquid Crystal Polymers with Tailored Chemical Structure for High Barrier, Mechanical and Tribological Performance

Two kinds of unique liquid crystal polymers (LCP), high performance LCP (HP-LCP) and soluble LCP (sLCP), have been developed by optimizing the chemical structures of LCP. Compared to conventional LCP, HP-LCP provides better hydrolysis resistance, mechanical performance and gas barrier property. The key to property improvement is to specifically design the monomer combination of the LCP main chain to control and enhance the molecular orientation. HP-LCP is a preferred matrix material for fiber reinforced composites as well as film and fiber, and a promising candidate for structural components of transportation applications. An unique sLCP has been developed by modifying the LCP molecular chain, thus enabling it to dissolve well in several solvents. This concept of “liquid sLCP systems” opens completely new pathways for application: the resulting fluid can be compounded with functional fillers and fibers via common dispersion techniques and then be applied as functional coating on both copper and aluminum substrate. It has turned out that coatings made from sLCP composites adhere very well to various metal substrates. The resulting coatings possess excellent barrier, thermal, mechanical and tribological properties.