U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Relationship Between Molecular Suprastructure and Barrier Properties of MainchainLiquid Crystalline Glassy Polymers

这一为期三年的奖项支持北卡罗来纳州立大学的Benny D.Freeman和法国巴黎高等物理与工业化学学院的Claudine Noel之间的美法合作研究。主要研究主链液晶聚合物(LCPs)。研究人员建议确定系统结构变化对液晶聚合物的相形态、热性能以及渗透吸附和传输性能的影响。LCPs作为耐热或耐化学腐蚀的阻隔膜和涂层，在化学加工工业中具有潜在的应用前景。最近对液晶聚合物的研究表明，这些材料是目前可用的最不透水的阻隔聚合物之一。然而，实际困难限制了迄今为止在分离化学和形态对小分子通过这些聚合物的传输特性的影响方面的研究的成功。研究人员建议进一步了解液晶聚合物的分子结构对渗透吸附和传输性能的影响，并进而确定其高阻隔性能。在北卡罗来纳州，将研究小分子在这些聚合物中的吸附和传输性质；而法国研究小组将对其表征和热性质进行研究。用于这项研究的新型聚合物材料将由Hoechst塞拉尼斯和迈尔斯实验室提供。合作利用了调查人员的专业知识和解决这一问题的补充办法。

This three-year award supports U.S.-France cooperative research between Benny D. Freeman of North Carolina State University, and Claudine Noel of the Ecole Superieure for Physics and Industrial Chemistry in Paris, France. The research focuses on mainchain liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs). The investigators propose to determine the effect of systematic structure changes on phase morphology, thermal properties, and penetrant sorption and transport properties of LCPs. LCPs offer promise as thermal or chemical resistant barrier films and coatings of potential use to the chemical processing industry. Recent studies of LCPs suggest that these materials are among the most impermeable barrier polymers currently available. However, practical difficulties have limited the success of studies to date in decoupling chemical and morphological effects on the transport properties of small molecules through these polymers. The investigators propose to advance understanding of the effects of LCPs' molecular structure on penetrant sorption and transport properties and, in turn, determine their high barrier properties. At North Carolina State, the sorption and transport properties of small molecules in these polymers will be studied; whereas, the French research group will conduct studies on characterization and their thermal properties. The novel polymeric materials for this study will be provided by Hoechst Celanese and Miles Laboratories. The collaboration takes advantage of the expertise of the investigators and complementary approaches to this problem.