Simulation on the kinetic process in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals: Effects of various concentration of liquid crystals

Abstract

We developed a dynamical model for the formation in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals. The model has the key feature that the mechanism of polymerization obeys the radical addition polymerization and the movement of molecules is allowed by Kawasaki dynamics(1). Monte Carlo computer simulations on this model show that the time evolutions of the structure factors exhibits dynamical self-similarity and the mean cluster size of liquid crystals has a peaking behavior until the phase separation is pinned(2). In the study, the simulation was performed with various concentration of liquid crystals. The mean cluster size of liquid crystal increases as the concentration of liquid crystals increases. We found a relation between the mean cluster size and the concentration of liquid crystals. The simulation results are well consistent with recent experimental observations.