Elastic Constants Of Liquid Crystals Research Articles

Measurements of the Bend and Splay Elastic Constants of a Polymer Liquid Crystal by the Frederiks' Distortion

Abstract The three elastic constants of a liquid crystal, Kii (i=1,2,3) are fundamental measureable constants, which determine the way the material is held together and its response to an external stimulus. While extensive measurements have been carried out to determine the elastic constants of thermotropic liquid crystals,1 very little is known about them in an important class of liquid crystals formed by macromolecules.