The present invention provides a liquid crystal alignment agent having high thermal stability and high solvent solubility, and a liquid crystal panel in which occurrence of ghosting and stain and a decrease in contrast are suppressed even under environments at high temperatures long period of time. The present invention is a liquid crystal alignment agent including a copolymer including a structure represented by a chemical formula (1) below, and a solvent. In the formula, X is a specified structure including a cyclic hydrocarbon group, Y.sup.1 is a specified structure including a cyclic hydrocarbon group, R.sup.1 represents a homogeneous alignment group, a homeotropic alignment group, or a photoreactive functional group, and Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are the same or different, and represent an —NH— group, an —O— group, or a —S— group. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides a liquid crystal alignment agent having high thermal stability and high solvent solubility, and a liquid crystal panel in which occurrence of ghosting and stain and a decrease in contrast are suppressed even under environments at high temperatures long period of time. The present invention is a liquid crystal alignment agent including a copolymer including a structure represented by a chemical formula (1) below, and a solvent. In the formula, X is a specified structure including a cyclic hydrocarbon group, Y.sup.1 is a specified structure including a cyclic hydrocarbon group, R.sup.1 represents a homogeneous alignment group, a homeotropic alignment group, or a photoreactive functional group, and Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are the same or different, and represent an —NH— group, an —O— group, or a —S— group. ##STR00001##

To prevent arcing discharge of a liquid crystal device. Provided is a liquid crystal device including a liquid crystal layer, a first substrate, a second substrate and an insulating film, wherein the liquid crystal layer is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate includes electrode 1, the second substrate includes electrode 2, the insulating film is arranged between electrode 1 and electrode 2, and the insulating film is a cured product of a thermosetting polymer composition.

Provided are a liquid crystal composition that is capable of forming a light absorption anisotropic film having a low reflectance, and a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device, each of which is obtained using the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, in which the side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit M including a mesogenic group and a repeating unit F including a fluorine atom.

A polymer film is provided, the polymer film comprises a liquid crystal polymer, comprising a soluble liquid crystal polymer and an insoluble liquid crystal polymer; and a polyimide polymer; wherein the polymer film has a thermal expansion coefficient between 0 and 60 ppm/t of 50° C. to 200° C., a water absorption rate less than 0.5%, a dielectric loss tangent of D.sub.f less than 0.005 at a frequency of 10 GHz, and a storage elastic modulus greater than 0.1 GPa at 310° C. A method for manufacturing the polymer film, the method for manufacturing the polymer film comprises steps: providing a liquid crystal polymer powder; providing a liquid crystal polymer glue; providing a polyamic acid glue; mixing the liquid crystal polymer powder, the liquid crystal polymer glue and the polyamic acid glue into a mixed solution, the mixed solution is made into a gel film.

A polymer film is provided, the polymer film comprises a liquid crystal polymer, comprising a soluble liquid crystal polymer and an insoluble liquid crystal polymer; and a polyimide polymer, accounting for 5 wt % or more of the polymer film. A method for manufacturing the polymer film is also provided, the method for manufacturing the polymer film comprises steps: providing a liquid crystal polymer powder, a particle size of the liquid crystal polymer powder is 0.1 um to 20 um; providing a liquid crystal polymer glue, a solid content of which is greater than 3 wt %; providing a polyamic acid glue; mixing the liquid crystal polymer powder, the liquid crystal polymer glue and the polyamic acid glue into a mixed solution, the mixed solution is made into a gel film, and the gel film is baked at a temperature of 300° C. to form a polymer film.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which is excellent in the adhesiveness between a polymer support and a photo alignment film and in which a liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility is uniformly aligned. The optical film is obtained by laminating, in the following order: a polymer support containing an additive; a photo alignment film; and an optically anisotropic film, wherein the optically anisotropic film is formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility, and an amount of a component derived from the additive of the polymer support, which is contained in a boundary region with the optically anisotropic film in the photo alignment film is 0.10 to 0.50 mass % with respect to a total mass of the photo alignment film.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which is excellent in the adhesiveness between a polymer support and a photo alignment film and in which a liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility is uniformly aligned. The optical film is obtained by laminating, in the following order: a polymer support containing an additive; a photo alignment film; and an optically anisotropic film, wherein the optically anisotropic film is formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility, and an amount of a component derived from the additive of the polymer support, which is contained in a boundary region with the optically anisotropic film in the photo alignment film is 0.10 to 0.50 mass % with respect to a total mass of the photo alignment film.

The present invention provides an optical film having a liquid crystal layer having excellent durability, and a liquid crystal film. The optical film of the present invention has an organic base material and a liquid crystal layer disposed on the organic base material, the liquid crystal layer contains a photo-alignment compound, and in the liquid crystal layer, the photo-alignment compound is unevenly distributed on a side of the organic base material.

The present invention provides an optical film having a liquid crystal layer having excellent durability, and a liquid crystal film. The optical film of the present invention has an organic base material and a liquid crystal layer disposed on the organic base material, the liquid crystal layer contains a photo-alignment compound, and in the liquid crystal layer, the photo-alignment compound is unevenly distributed on a side of the organic base material.