Abstract: A liquid crystal cell is disclosed which comprises a pair of opposed substrates defining a space therebetween and each having one or more electrodes disposed thereon, and a liquid crystal material provided in the space, the liquid crystal material being a lyotropic liquid crystal composition containing water and a polymeric electrolyte dissolved in the water in an amount sufficient to form a liquid crystal phase.

Abstract: A new polyurethane as well as a process for preparing same is disclosed. The new polyurethane contains therein a hard segment derived from at least one polyhydroxy substance selected from the group consisting of cellulosic substances, hemi-cellulosic substances and lignic substances, and is excellent in mechanical and thermal characteristics as compared with the existing polyurethanes. The new polyurethane can be prepared according to a method known per se, using the polyhydroxy substance alone or in mixture with a polyol compound as reactants to be polycondensed with a polyisocyanate.