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S. V. Pasechnik¹, D. V. Shmeliova¹, S. S. Kharlamov¹, O. A. Semina¹, A. Sh. Saidgaziev¹, V. G. Chigrinov²

Author affiliations
¹Problem Laboratory of Molecular Acoustics, Russian Technological University,
20 Sromynka St., Moscow, 107996, Russia
E-mail: s-p-a-s-m@mail.ru
²Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract
The results of experimental investigation of rheological properties of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) 5CB (4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl) confined to submicron pores of polymer PET-films in the presence of AC electric field are presented. The decay flow method, elaborated previously for plane channels, was successfully adopted and applied to the LC-PET composite media, which can be considered as a number of cylindrical channels, connected in parallel schema, filled with flowing LC. It provides the calculation of the effective shear viscosity as a function of the electric field strength. The character of this function indicates on the electrically induced orientation transformation in LC inside pores due to breaking of a surface anchoring.

Keywords: liquid crystals, electrorheology, 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl