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Characterization and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene‐ co ‐trimethylene terephthalate) copolymers
Author(s) -
Zou Hantao,
Li Guang,
Jiang Jianming,
Yang Shenglin
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.20980
Subject(s) - crystallization , materials science , copolymer , differential scanning calorimetry , nucleation , polymer chemistry , polymer , avrami equation , chemical engineering , ethylene , crystallization of polymers , composite material , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , catalysis , chemistry , physics , engineering
A series of poly(ethylene‐ co ‐trimethylene terephthalate) (PETT) copolymers were prepared by polycondensation. The synthesized PETT are block copolymers and the content of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) units incorporated into the copolymers are always larger than that fed in the polymerization. The nonisothermal crystallization at the different cooling rates was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry. The copolymers develop the crystallization later and show the lower melting temperature than the corresponding enriched homopolymers. The modified Avrami analysis fit well the nonisothermal crystallization of these polymers. The overall rate of crystallization of PTT is fastest and that of PET is slowest, whereas the copolymers are between them at the same cooling rate. The minor PET units incorporated into PTT polymer chains reduce the crystallization of PTT segments, but the present minor PTT units in the PET chains seem to accelerate the crystallization of PET segments. The Avrami exponent n varies in the range of 3 – 4, indicating that the nonisothermal crystallization follows the homogeneous nucleation and two‐ to three‐dimensional growth mechanism. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction analysis explains that the PET and PTT units do not cocrystallize and it is considered as the enriched polymer segments to crystallize during crystallization. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers