Thermal behaviour and transport properties of liquid crystalline polymers: Phase organization in a thermotropic polyester

The thermal behaviour and transport properties of a thermotropic semiflexible polyester have been analysed. The system is polymorphic and the transport properties indicate, rather surprisingly, that the Sorption coefficient increases on improving the structural organization of the polymer. A structural model has been suggested, based on the hypothesis that the non-crystalline nematic system is characterized by the fine interpenetration of impermeable nematic domains and less ordered permeable domains.