MIXTURES OF 2 MESOMORPHIC CELLULOSIC POLYMERS

In this preliminary work, we consider the case of a mixture of two mesomorphic cellulosic polymers: hydroxypropyl-cellulose (HPC) and ethyl-cellulose (EC). These polymers, as well as other cellulosic derivatives, show liquid crystal phases. They are thermotropic and furthermore for a relatively high concentration in a common solvent like acetic acid they show, at ambient temperature, a cholesteric liquid crystal phase. In this phase, the viscosity is not too high if the concentration is not too different from the critical concentration. This is the reason why we choose to study different mixtures of these polymers in the solvent. The principal aim is to show that due to the anisotropy of the two polymers, it is possible to easily characterize the mixture.