Abstract: The invention features dilute solutions of rigid rod or extended rod lyotropic liquid crystalline polymers prepared from high concentration polymerization mixtures. The invention also features methods of preparing such dilute solutions which utilize high mechanical shear to induce mix the high concentration solution with a diluent. The invention further provides articles of manufacture, including films and fibers, having a porous microstructure which are prepared from the dilute homogeneous solutions of the invention.

Abstract: A system for spectroscopic monitoring that includes a broadband source of radiation, structure defining a non-elongate entrance aperture for receiving radiation to be analyzed along a first path; dispersion structure disposed in the first path for spatially dispersing the radiation in the first path as a function of wavelength, structure defining a non-elongate exit aperture for receiving a portion of the dispersed radiation, detector structure for detecting radiation passed through said exit aperture structure, and conical astigmatism reducing reflector structure disposed in the radiation path between the dispersion structure and the exit aperture structure for reducing astigmatism.

Abstract: A non-contact spectroscopy system includes scanning head structure with transmitting optics for focusing radiation onto the surface of material to be analyzed, and receiving optics for collecting radiation reflected from the surface of the material and directing the reflected radiation onto optic fiber structure for transmission to spectroscopic analyzer structure.

Abstract: A radiation transmission optical fiber having a core and cladding for spectroscopic monitoring includes a transmission portion and a sensor portion; the transmission portion has a continuous core portion and a continuous cladding over the core portion; the sensor portion has the cladding removed from one side of the fiber and the core portion exposed from the same side leaving the continuous cladding intact over the opposite side of the core portion of the sensor.

Abstract: A radiation transmission fiber for spectroscopic monitoring includes a transmission portion and a sensor portion; the transmission and sensor portions have a continuous core portion and continuous cladding over the core portion throughout the transmission and sensor portions; the sensor portion of the core is of smaller diameter than the transmission portion(s) and is connected to the transmission portion(s) by a conical transition portion(s); and the cladding in the transmission portion is of greater thickness than the cladding in the sensor region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of ordered polymers as a substrate material for the preparation of printed wire boards (PWB). In preferred embodiments, the PWB of the present invention comprises a generic, high density, organic multilayer PWB capable of being employed as a high density leadless perimeter and in grid array ceramic chip packages. Specific chip package density requirements are 0.020-in. centers with up to 300 input/outputs (I/Os) for perimeter type packages and 0.050-in. center grid array type packages with up to 240 I/Os per device. In its most preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to a method of forming a PBT PWB substrate layer of 0.0025 in. or less in thickness. Another preferred aspect of the present invention concerns the discovery that a copper layer can be bonded to a PBT film substrate with a strength comparable to existing PWB materials.

Abstract: A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu compositional changes in a polymeric material comprises the steps of providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding the sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored, subjecting the polymeric material to a processing sequence, applying a beam of infrared radiation to the fiber for transmission through the transmitting portion to the sensor portion for modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material, monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as the polymeric material is being subjected to the processing sequence to obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the processing sequence, and adjusting the processing sequence as a function of the kinetic data provided by the modified infrared radiation spectra information.

Abstract: A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu compositional changes in a polymeric material comprises the steps of providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding the sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored, subjecting the polymeric material to a processing sequence, applying a beam of infrared radiation to the fiber for transmission through the transmitting portion to the sensor portion for modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material, monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as the polymeric material is being subjected to the processing sequence to obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the processing sequence, and adjusting the processing sequence as a function of the kinetic data provided by the modified infrared radiation spectra information.