Liquid crystalline epoxy based thermosetting polymers

In recent years many examples of liquid crystalline thermosetting polymers have been reported in the literature. The main reason for the development of this new class of materials comes from both technological and theoretical implications. Among the different anisotropic thermosets, epoxy resins represent a family of polymers whose properties make them primary candidates in different fields ranging from high performance matrices in advanced composites to polymers for optical applications. The chemistry of curing process of amine hardened conventional epoxy resins is well known from the literature; however some substancial differences arise during liquid crystalline epoxy monomers crosslinking. The level of order of the cured resin can be strongly affected by the nature of the hardener, as well as the physical properties of the cured material. This review will present the results of synthesis and physico-chemical characterization of liquid crystalline epoxy resins in relation to their applications in some specific fields. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.