Major Issues with Liquid Crystal Polymer Materials

Since the emergence of liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) just over 50 years ago, the field has remained a relatively young discipline. However, research in this area is still at a relatively low level, with theoretical studies being somewhat narrow, and LCPs still suffer from certain shortcomings that require further improvement. Overall, liquid crystal polymer materials face several common challenges.

(1) High Cost

As functional materials, LCPs possess many outstanding advantages. However, the primary factor hindering their widespread application is their high cost, mainly due to expensive monomers and solvents. Therefore, for the LCP synthesis industry, finding relatively cheaper raw materials is a top priority. With ongoing research into low-cost materials and polymer-LCP blends, LCPs may eventually replace some currently used metals and non-metallic materials. For example, natural polymer cellulose, if dissolved in suitable solvents or modified into appropriate derivatives, could expand the application of natural polymer liquid crystals. Additionally, blending LCPs with low-cost polymers can significantly reduce material costs while minimizing performance losses. As research progresses, production scales up, and synthesis processes improve, this issue is expected to be gradually resolved.

(2) Low Research Level

Internationally: Researchers like Flory (using lattice model theory) and Bosch (using molecular theory methods) have explored the behavior of LCPs. Industrially, since the 1990s, LCPs have developed at an unprecedented pace, with the U.S., Japan, Europe, and other regions competing in LCP development and industrial production, leading to continuous expansion in new varieties and applications.

Domestically (China): China’s LCP research began in the early 1970s, relatively late compared to other countries. Although significant theoretical achievements have been made—some reaching world-leading levels—industrial progress has lagged far behind that of the U.S., Japan, and Germany due to various reasons. By the mid-1990s, China still lacked industrial-scale LCP production facilities, relying only on small-scale experimental setups. Additionally, China’s LCP research teams are fragmented, resulting in few successful pilot-scale results so far.

(3) Complex Processing

The processing of LCPs is highly complex, which greatly limits their research and development. In summary, as a relatively new material, LCPs are still not fully understood. However, as theoretical understanding improves, their applications continue to expand. It is certain that, as an interdisciplinary field, LCP materials science will play an increasingly important role in high-performance structural materials, information storage materials, functional films, nonlinear optical materials, and more.

With the deepening of LCP research in China, the growing demand for advanced materials in modernization, and the expansion of high-tech industries, the development of LCPs is expected to gain increasing support and attention from national authorities and enterprises. Consequently, within a relatively short period, China is likely to catch up with the advanced levels of the U.S., Japan, and Europe in the synthesis, processing, and commercial application of LCPs.