Temperature Dependence of the Viscosity Coefficients of Liquid Crystals

Abstract
Based upon the thermodynamics of irreversible processes a set of phenomenological equations which explain the temperature dependence of Leslie's viscosity coefficients of liquid crystals are presented. The equations are of the form α4=2η0exp (E/kT)+constant×S+O(S2), in which S is the orientational order parameter and E is the activation energy which can be determined by viscosity measurements in the isotropic phase. The equations apply to the nematic phase in the case of finite S as well as to the isotropic phase in the limit of S=0. A fairly good agreement is found between the proposed equations and the existing experimental data.

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