Flow behavior of mesophase pitch

The objective of this work was to provide a comprehensive rheological and structural study of AR mesophase pitch. The shear viscosity of AR mesophase pitch was found to be qualitatively similar to results from prior investigations of mesophase pitch and followed the typical trend for liquid crystalline fluids. However, a distinct hesitation, or kink, was observed in the shear viscosity curve near the shear thinning to constant viscosity transition. This behavior has been seen previously for some low molecular weight and polymeric liquid crystals and was thought to be due to a transition between tumbling and steady alignment of the uniaxial director. Optical studies of mesophase pitch revealed an orientation change of the poly-domain structure at shear rates where the kink was observed. This orientation change results in a high viscosity to low viscosity transition. This viscosity transition, and not tumbling, is responsible for the kink phenomenon. The optical studies also reaffirmed that shear flow reduces the size of the poly domain structure and elongates the domains along the flow direction. Also under quiescent conditions, the poly-domain size increased with increasing relaxation time. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.