Synthesis, Mesophase Behaviour and Charge Mobility of Phenyl-Thiophene Pentamers

The performance of opto-electronic devices based on semi-conducting organic molecules, dependence on the molecular order of the semi-conducting molecules. To get high charge transportation through the material a high order of the material is needed. In our research we used liquid crystalline phases to get relative high order over large distances...

Electrospray-assisted synthesis methods of nanostructured materials for Li-ion batteries

This PhD thesis focuses on the synthesis of nanostructured materials via an aerosol-assisted route based on electrospraying of liquid precursors. Electrospraying is a powerful technique for the production of nearly-monodispersed, highly-charged droplets. The possibility of tailoring the droplet size, as well as coupling the process to different...

On the Structure and Dissolution Properties of Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide): Effect of Solvent Composition

Poly-p-phenylenetherephthalamide (PpPTA) is a high performance, semi flexible polymer. Commercially it is mainly sold in the form of fibres under the trade names Twaron and Kevlar. The polymerization is performed in an amide(NMP)-salt(CaCl2) solution and afterwards spun into fibres from a sulphuric acid solution. In the thesis the dissolution...

Highly Mobile Triphenylene Based Organogel Networks

Organogels and liquid crystals are both well known classes of materials covering a broad spectrum of molecules, structures and morphologies. In this thesis characterization of novel triphenylene based organogels is described in connection with the mesomorphic liquid crystalline properties of the pure materials. In the course of this study...

Short fiber reinforced thermoplastic blends

The present thesis investigates the potential of short fiber reinforced thermoplastic blends, a combination of an immiscible polymer blend and a short fiber reinforced composite, to integrate the easy processing solutions available for short fiber reinforced composites with the high mechanical performance of continuous fiber reinforced...

Dielectric sorption analysis on polymer films

The original goal of this research was to investigate new ways of predicting the life-time expectancy of organic coatings. Two different approaches were studied for their feasibility. The first approach was to optimise an existing measurement device, or to build one, which is able to detect (physical or chemical) changes of a coating as early as...

Thermoplastic composite wind turbine blades: Vacuum infusion technology for anionic polyamide-6 composites

Due to the increasing costs of fossil fuels and the improved efficiency of wind turbines in the last decade, wind energy has become increasingly cost-efficient and is well on its way of becoming a mainstream source of energy. To maintain a continuous reduction in costs it is necessary to increase the size of the turbines. For the blades a...

Acrylic polymer nanocomposite resins for water borne coating applications

Due to environmental and safety regulations the use of volatile organic components (VOC's) containing lacquers for exterior automotive purposes is under growing pressure. As a consequence there is a demand for more environmentally friendly alternatives like water borne coatings, high solid coatings, powder coatings and radiation cured coatings....

Dynamics of polymers in ultra-thin films

Abstract not available

Colloidal liquid crystal reinforced nanocomposites

The main objective of this research is to investigate the use of colloidal Boehmite rods as reinforcement filler for polymer nanocomposites and to introduce them as an alternative to the well-known clay systems. Since Boehmite rods have been studied for many years as a model nematic system, the motivation was to explore some additional...

Synthesis and properties of lyotropic poly(amide-block-aramid) copolymers

This thesis describes the synthesis and properties of liquid crystalline block copolymers comprised of alternating rigid and flexible blocks for the preparation of self-reinforcing materials. The incentive for this work was the expectation that the rigid segments would phase separate on a microscopic scale, and would form nematic domains, which...

Fluorescent and Dielectric Molecular Probes for the Study of Phase Transitions and Structural Relaxation in Polymers

Fibre reinforced polymer nanocomposites

In this thesis the results are described of the research on a combination of two types of composites: thermoplastic nanocomposites and continuous fibre composites. In this three-phase composite the main reinforcing phase are continuous glass or carbon fibres, and the matrix consists of a polyamide 6 / layered silicate nanocomposite. To be able...

Rheological properties of olefinic thermoplastic elastomer blends

Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) are a class of materials that have rubber-like properties and can be processed like thermoplastic polymers. In this thesis, the rheological properties of two TPE blends are correlated to their morphology. The thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPV) consist of micron-sized, cured elastomer particles while the blends of PP...

Liquid Crystalline Behavior of Water-Soluble Sulfonated Polyaramids

A rheological and structural study of polymer networks

Mesophase Formation in Discotic Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Liquid crystals comprise a class of materials in which characteristic properties of crystals and liquids are combined. The materials show partly ordered fluid phases, between the common solid and the liquid phases. The combination of order and a high mobility is applied in the well-known liquid crystalline displays (LCD's). This thesis describes...