Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates each having thereon at least an electrode and an alignment control layer, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between the substrates. At least one of the alignment control layers has a thickness of at most 200 .ANG. or comprises polyimide. In the latter case, the pair of substrates have been subjected to mutually different aligning treatments. The liquid crystal composition comprises at least one species of a fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound in an amount of at least 70 wt. % comprising a fluorocarbon terminal portion and a hydrocarbon terminal portion, the terminal portions being connected with a central core, and having smectic mesophase or latent smectic mesophase, and comprises at least one species of a resistivity-modifying substance. The fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound comprises a compound having a fluorocarbon terminal portion containing at least one catenary ether oxygen atom in an amount of at least 30 wt.

Abstract: The invention provides a simple method of manufacturing a broadband, switchable cholesteric filter. To this end, a mixture of polymerizable, liquid-crystalline molecules is provided between two, substantially parallel substrates, which are each provided with an electrode. This mixture is subsequently polymerized with UV light to form an optically active layer of cholesteric order comprising a three-dimensional polymeric network. If the mixture also contains a quantity of a photo-stabilizing compound, a broadband, cholesteric filter is obtained. The mixture preferably comprises, in addition to maximally 5 wt. % of the photo-stabilizing compound, maximally 2 wt. % of monomers having at least two polymerizable groups, maximally 90 wt. % of liquid-crystalline monomers having one polymerizable group, as well as a mixture of chiral and/or achiral liquid-crystalline molecules without a polymerizable group. Switchable cholesteric filters having a bandwidth of 200 nm and more can be obtained in this manner.

Abstract: Polyaspartic acid and its salts ms used as a carbon dioxide corrosion inhibitor for ferrous metal surfaces in contact with a substantially acidic corrosive aqueous saline environment. In particular, carbon dioxide corrosion of mild steel in brine substantially free of dissolved oxygen can be effectively inhibited under mild to moderate dynamic flow use conditions by relatively low concentrations of polyaspartic acid.