Abstract
The transmission electron microscope technique enables direct visualization of disclination core structure of main chain liquid crystalline polymers. Generally, the lamellar structure, that is a function of type of polymer and molecular length, and of which the thickness is 10–200 nm, can be observed. In terms of distortions in the director field produced by a disclination, the elastic anisotropy, ∊, can easily be calculated. However, the ∊ does not indicate the molecular distortion produced by the disclination. Continuum mechanics is used to describe the relationship between the elastic anisotropy, ∊a, measured from the lamellar director and that, ∊b, of the molecular director in main chain liquid crystalline polymers. The relationship is ∊a = −∊b, indicating that lamellar distortion is completely different from the molecular distortion.