The thesis presents the results of experimental and theoretical study of the physical properties of ELC layers of individual saturated hydrocarbons, aliphatic-, silicon- and polyglycol-based lubricants, formed at the metal substrates. It is researched that thin interlayers of investigated liquids, bounded with the metal substrates, are structurally inhomogeneous. Interlayer optical anisotropy, non-Newtonian flow with the increased coeffi-cient of viscosity and different viscosity-temperature dependence, compared to the "volumetric" characteristic, are attributed to the homeotropic-oriented ELC layers formation at the substrates. Evaluation of ELC peculiari-ties is carried out on the basis of the results of the rheological and optical research by applying structural mod-eling. For this purpose the structural-rheological model of the flow of the interlayer with homogeneous wall-adjacent layers of "constant viscosity" and its analogue, developed for the estimation of layer properties in op-tical research, are proposed. In accordance with the model, such layer parameters as initial thickness, its change within the rate of shear deformation, degree of ordering, specified by "hydrodynamic strength", and magnitude of double refraction, are evaluated. It is determined that the initial thicknesses of under-study liquid ELC layers formed at metal surfaces are ~ 1?5 µm. The increase of flow intensity leads to layer thickness reduction ex-plained as its fraction due to orientation ordering decrease and phase transition into isotropic state. However, spreading of the interface boundary between ELC and isotropic liquid, ascertained with measurements of opti-cal anisotropy, and structural order reduction within the distance from the substrate, determined as "hydrody-namic strength" dependence on interlayer thickness by rheological research, indicated on layer structural inho-mogeneity. Therefore the rheological model of interlayer with near-surface layers, where viscosity depends on rate of shear deformation, is developed. Within the framework of the model of "variable viscosity" layer its ini-tial thickness and order index, which determines the degree of structural order, are estimated. It is found that num-ber of factors strongly influences the properties of the ELC of the liquids under the study. Thus, the effect of a substrate directed microrelief on ELC properties is researched and layer molecules planar orientation is defined. The thermal destruction, water additives as well as ELC-contained interlayer temperature rising during warm-ing-up has a negative impact on the structure of the layer, leading to the thinning of the latest due to destruction caused by molecule disordering. On the contrary, doping the studied non-mesogenic liquids with such surfac-tants as fatty acids and liquid crystals, leads to the layer structure "strengthening", i.e. to the molecule degree of ordering increase along with the growth of layer thickness. The same effect upon layer structural parameters has the increase of molecule chain length of individual aliphatic liquids.
