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Advanced Materials Portfolio
  All-Polymer
Conductive Liquid
Crystal Elastomer
Advanced
Materials scientists have partnered with Kent State
University to develop novel conductive elastomeric materials
for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. In this program,
CRG scientists demonstrated the feasibility of an all-polymer
conductive liquid crystalline elastomer. They employed template-synthesis
of conductive polymer in a reactive liquid crystal medium
to obtain the desirable conducting polymer network microstructures.
New liquid crystalline monomers were designed
and synthesized to meet the compatibility requirements for
this material system and were used to template-synthesize
a fibrilar conductive polymer network within the system. The
molecular alignment in the liquid crystal monomer controlled
the morphology of the elastomer. This morphology led to significant
conductivity at a low loading of conductive polymer. This
technology will lead to significant weight savings and enhanced
durability features, such as lower compression set and higher
corrosion resistance over that of traditional conductive seal
materials. This program has established key correlation between
performance and material design, conductive elastomer material
synthesis, and processing conditions.
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