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Vectran®, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fiber, offers a balance of properties unmatched by other high performance fibers. This unique fiber's history spans 30 years of research and development in thermotropic (melt-processable) LCP's.
LCP polymer molecules are stiff, rod-like structures organized in ordered domains in the solid and melt states. These oriented domains lead to anisotropic behavior in the melt state, thus the term "liquid crystal polymer." Vectran® fiber is formed by melt extrusion of the LCP through fine diameter capillaries, during which the molecular domains orient parallel to the fiber axis. The structure's high degree of orientation, illustrated schematically in Figure 1, translates to excellent fiber tensile properties.
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