Behavior of the director reorientation time in glass surfaces of lyotropic liquid crystals in the nematic to biaxial transition

The surface reorientation process of a lyotropic liquid crystal is investigated in the calamitic (N-c) and biaxial (N-bx) nematic phases. It is observed that the surface reorientation process is faster in the biaxial phase and the characteristic time of this process tau(s) increases linearly with increasing temperatures, in both nematic phases. The results obtained are discussed and compared to the predictions of a model assuming the gliding of the director at the boundary surfaces.