The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy, comprising a low-molecular-weight component and a polymerizable component. The polymerizable component comprises self-aligning, polymerizable mesogens (polymerizable self-alignment additives) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the LC medium without alignment layers. The invention discloses novel structures for polymerizable self-alignment additives which have a certain position of the functional groups.

A seal material for liquid crystal display device comprising a seal ingredient including an epoxy monomer and a curing agent, and a moisture absorbent, wherein the moisture absorbent comprises a crystalline compound containing SiO.sub.x (wherein x=1 or higher to 8 or lower) and AlO.sub.y (wherein y=1 or higher to 8 or lower); and the moisture absorbent is contained 5 mass % or more to 18 mass % or less with respect to a total amount of the above-described seal material for liquid crystal display device.

A liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device using the liquid crystal composition, and a method of manufacturing an LCD device are provided. The liquid crystal display device comprises: a first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed on the first substrate, the liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal compound; and a first liquid crystal alignment layer disposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the first compound includes a first compound, which has at least one hydrophilic group bonded to one end of a core structure thereof and a benzoyl derivative moiety bonded to the other end of the core structure thereof.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of reducing a VHR decrease and a residual DC voltage increase after long-term use of the device. The liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate; and an alignment film disposed on a surface adjacent to the liquid crystal layer of one or both of the first substrate and the second substrate, the one or both of the first substrate and the second substrate with the alignment film disposed thereon including an interlayer insulating film that contains at least one selected from a positive resist and a photoreaction product thereof, the liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal material that contains at least one selected from a terphenyl compound and a tetraphenyl compound, the alignment film containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a group represented by the following formula (S-1), a group represented by the following formula (S-2), and a heteroaromatic group.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of reducing a VHR decrease and a residual DC voltage increase after long-term use of the device. The liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate; and an alignment film disposed on a surface adjacent to the liquid crystal layer of one or both of the first substrate and the second substrate, the one or both of the first substrate and the second substrate with the alignment film disposed thereon including an interlayer insulating film that contains at least one selected from a positive resist and a photoreaction product thereof, the liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal material that contains at least one selected from a terphenyl compound and a tetraphenyl compound, the alignment film containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a group represented by the following formula (S-1), a group represented by the following formula (S-2), and a heteroaromatic group.

##STR00001##

A liquid crystal display device, whereby transparency when no voltage is applied and scattering properties when a voltage is applied, are good, adhesion between a liquid crystal layer and a vertical liquid crystal alignment film is high, and its lifespan is long even in a severe environment. The liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal layer formed by disposing a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal and a polymerizable compound between a pair of substrates provided with electrodes, and irradiating and curing the composition with ultraviolet rays by an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus, and at least one substrate is provided with a liquid crystal alignment film to vertically align a liquid crystal, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus is an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus capable of controlling the irradiation light intensity and wavelength of the ultraviolet rays to be irradiated and the surface temperature of the pair of the substrates.

A pre-preg product, such as a tape or sheet suitable for forming a composite having reinforcement fibers and a liquid crystal thermoset (LCT) precursor is provided. Further aspects of the invention are directed to a method for preparation of the pre-preg product and to composite products based on the pre-preg product.

A composition includes an aqueous mixture of birefringent small molecules and a birefringent polymer. The birefringent small molecules are of a structure:

##STR00001##

or a salt thereof.

The birefringent polymer is of a structure:

##STR00002##

or salt thereof,
where n is an integer in a range from 25 to 10,000.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and negative dielectric anisotropy, which comprises a) one or more compounds of formula I ##STR00001## and b) one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of the formulae II and III ##STR00002##
in which the parameters have the respective meanings indicated in claim 1, to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the VA, ECB, PALC, IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type, and to the use of the compounds of formula I for reduction of the dispersion of the birefringence of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more compounds of the formulae II and/or III.

The present invention relates to polymerisable compounds, to processes and intermediates for the preparation thereof, to liquid-crystal (LC) media comprising them, and to the use of the polymerisable compounds and LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment type, or a stabilisers in LC media and LC displays.