4th International workshop on nonequilibrium thermodynamics and complex fluids

	IWNET 2006	4th International workshop on nonequilibrium thermodynamics and complex fluids 3-7 september 2006, Rhodes, Greece

Home Scope Location Speakers Program Abstracts Author index Organizing Committee Scientific Committee Venue & Accomodation Registration News Contact		ORAL PRESENTATION Session: 4 Complex fluid deformation and rheology: Theories and thermodynamic relationships (scheduled: Tuesday, 14:50 ) Selected nonlinear physical properties of liquid crystalline elastomers A.M. Menzel, H.R. Brand Theoretical Physics III, University of Bayreuth, Germany Side-chain liquid single crystal elastomers (SCLSCEs) are unique materials combining the properties of ordinary rubbers with those of a liquid crystalline phase. Furthermore the director describing the broken symmetry in the liquid crystalline phase is coupled to deformations of the elastomer, which allows for example the reorientation of the director by external mechanical forces. In a linearized continuum theory this coupling is determined by two terms in the free energy density, which were introduced by de Gennes and contain relative rotations between the director and the polymer network. A central goal of our studies, where we analyze the macroscopic behavior of SCLSCEs in external fields, is to generalize these two terms and the complete expression for the free energy into the nonlinear domain. Physical consequences of the nonlinear terms will be discussed. © IWNET 2006

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