Wide processing-window liquid crystal polymer resin
This technology describes a new family of liquid crystal polyester plastics made from hydroquinone and a specific biphenyl diacid. The key property is that these materials can be melted and shaped (melt-processed) at temperatures that are safely below the point where they would either degrade or lose their ordered molecular structure, making them practical to manufacture. They also form a 'liquid crystalline glass' phase, meaning they lock in their ordered molecular arrangement as they cool, which typically translates to exceptional mechanical strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability. These characteristics make them attractive as high-performance engineering plastics for demanding applications in electronics, aerospace, and precision parts.
What you could build
A drop-in high-performance engineering resin for injection-molded electronic connectors, circuit board substrates, or precision structural components, sold to specialty polymer compounders or directly to electronics OEMs who need materials with tight dimensional tolerances at elevated temperatures.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense contractors and electronics manufacturers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor who source high-performance polymer components for aerospace and military electronics would be natural commercial contacts.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Katherine V. Heifferon, Timothy E. Long, S. Richard Turner, Yong Yang, Syamal Tallury, Ting Chen, Javier Guzman
- Granted
- September 1, 2020
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10759900
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.