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Morphology of thermally degraded polyethylene
Author(s) -
Fujiwara Yasuna,
Harada Kenyū
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1962.070062214
Subject(s) - spherulite (polymer physics) , polyethylene , materials science , polymer , electron microscope , morphology (biology) , crystal habit , optical microscope , scanning electron microscope , polymer chemistry , wax , crystallography , crystallization , composite material , chemical engineering , chemistry , optics , physics , biology , genetics , engineering
As a clue to the solution of the spherulite structure of polymers, dendrites of thermally degraded polyethylene crystallized from the melt were studied by optical and electron microscopy. The crystal habit of the dendrites was very special, resembling neither that found in polyethylene, which has much longer chains, nor that of paraffin wax which has considerably shorter chains. Electron microscopic observation revealed the existence of developed terraces about 100 A. in height, which is in accordance with the structure of polymer single crystals. The molecules appear to fold themselves into the lamellae on crystallizing from the melt.