Application of Polarizing Optical Microscopy in Investigation of Crystallization Kinetics from Smectic CA* Phase |
| A. Deptucha, A. Lelitob, M. Urbańskac
aInstitute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, PL-31342 Kraków, Poland bFaculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, PL-30084 Kraków, Poland cInstitute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, Kaliskiego 2, PL-00908 Warsaw, Poland |
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| Polarizing optical microscopy is used to investigate the isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization of the 3F6FPhF6 compound, which exhibits the smectic C* and smectic CA* phases. A large hysteresis of above 20 K in the smectic C*/smectic CA* phase transition is reported. The kinetics of non-isothermal crystallization is analyzed by means of the continuous cooling transition diagram. The cooling rate necessary for at least partial vitrification of the smectic CA* phase is estimated. The relationship between the thermodynamic driving force of crystallization and thermal energy of the translational degrees of freedom is shown to have a strong impact on crystallization. |
DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.144.93 topics: liquid crystals, smectic C*A phase, crystallization kinetics, polarizing optical microscopy |