title: Thermomagnetic processing of liquid-crystalline epoxy resins and their mechanical characterization using nanoindentation.
abstract: A thermomagnetic processing method was used to produce a biphenyl-based liquid-crystalline epoxy resin (LCER) with oriented liquid-crystalline (LC) domains. The orientation of the LCER was confirmed and quantified using two-dimensional X-ray diffraction. The effect of molecular alignment on the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the LCER was investigated using nanoindentation and thermomechanical analysis, respectively. The effect of the orientation on the fracture behavior was also examined. The results showed that macroscopic orientation of the LC domains was achieved, resulting in an epoxy network with an anisotropic modulus, hardness, creep behavior, and thermal expansion.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University , P.O. Box 642920, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States.
authors.forename: Yuzhan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kessler
keywords: liquid-crystalline epoxy resins; mechanical properties; molecular orientation; thermomagnetic processing