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Excellent toughness, crystal morphology and crystallization mechanism of transcrystallization of polypropylene induced by layered interface
Author(s) -
Lu Zhonghao,
Zhao Bo,
Yang Mingtao
Publication year - 2018
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.24780
Subject(s) - materials science , crystallization , nucleation , tacticity , morphology (biology) , composite material , crystal (programming language) , toughness , polypropylene , isothermal process , crystal growth , chemical engineering , polymer , crystallography , polymerization , thermodynamics , chemistry , physics , genetics , biology , computer science , engineering , programming language
The performances of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) have always been related to its crystal morphology and structure. In this work, β ‐transcrystallization ( β ‐TC) was obtained by constructing iPP and β ‐nucleated iPP ( β ‐iPP) multilayered structures. By changing the number of layers, the β ‐TC content in layered samples was controlled. During the isothermal crystallization at 130°C, the β ‐nucleating agents induced β ‐spherulites in β ‐iPP layers, then the β ‐nucleus at the interface induced the formation of β ‐TC which grew vertical to the interface in iPP layers. Compared with traditional blending sample which had only β ‐spherulites, the crystallization rate, and Avrami exponent of β ‐crystal in layered samples decreased with increasing of the β ‐TC content due to the longer induction nucleation time and two‐dimensional heterogeneous growth mode of β ‐TC during isothermal crystallization at 130°C. Similarly, the crystallization rate of β ‐crystals decreased with the increase of β ‐TC content during nonisothermal crystallization. In addition, the layered sample with high content of β ‐TC showed good toughness, due to the special morphology of β ‐TC. This study provided a method to fabricate β ‐TC during melt processing, and promoting the application of iPP materials with high‐content of β ‐TC. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1791–1799, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers