polymerguru

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Liquid Crystal Polymers LIQUID CRYSTALS: DISCOVERY  The origin of liquid crystal study is typically traced back to Austrian chemist and botanist Friedrich Reinitzer. In 1888, he observed and later wrote about the strange behavior of a solid after exposing it to changing temperatures. Using solid cholesteryl benzoate,Reinitzer noticed that at one temperature the solid became a hazy liquid,yet at a higher temperature, the hazy liquid became clear. When cooling the clear liquid, again Reinitzer saw the liquid pass through two different color forms before returning to the original white solid with which he began . Reinitzer had observed two different melting points for the same material – a phenomenon which should not exist. Perplexed by his discovery, Reinitzer forwarded the solid white material along with his findings to Otto Lehmann, a physicist working out of Aachen in what is now present day Germany.  Lehmann was better equipped to study the material t...

LM Glasfiber in research project on wind turbine blade laser sensory system LM Glasfiber, the independent manufacturer of wind turbine blades, is entering into a three-year research project supported by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation to develop laser-based wind sensory systems as an integrated part of future wind turbine blades. The project, which is a joint venture with Risø DTU and NKT Photonics , aims to improve the load control of the wind turbine in operation thus enhancing the efficiency of the turbine and improving its overall reliability. “ LM Glasfiber is working on several projects to improve the efficiency of the blades and consequently the overall energy production from the wind turbine. An important part of this is developing ‘intelligent’ blades that measure the wind and either adapt to the current wind conditions or supply data to the wind turbine control system,” says Lars Fuglsang, LM Glasfiber Research Director. Integrating so called LI...