Heterogeneous nucleation of crystallization of high polymers from the melt. I. Substrate-induced morphologies

Melt crystallization of isotactic polypropylene (iPP), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(butene-1), and polycaprolactone in contact with various substrates (mostly polymeric) has been studied by hot stage polarizing microscopy. Nucleating abilities of surfaces have been characterized qualitatively by examining the substrate-induced morphologies of the crystallizing polymer. These morphologies have been classified into three groups, depending on whether the substrate is very active (transcrystallinity), moderately active, or inactive as a nucleating agent. The morphologies observed are temperature-dependent, changing from transcrystalline to spherulitic upon increase of the crystallization temperature. At intermediate temperatures, mixed surface morphologies (transcrystalline plus spherulitic) are observed. The concentration of titanium and aluminum catalytic residues in isotactic polystyrene (iPS) samples can be reduced by two methods, i.e., (a) fractionating the polymer and (b) chelating Ti and Al with acetylacetone. The high nucleating ability of iPS samples in the crystallization of iPP has been shown to be due to the polymer (iPS) itself, and not to Ti and Al residues. Apart from iPS, other polymers (low energy surfaces) have also been found to induce transcrystallinity. From a survey of 43 substrate-crystallizing polymer pairs, conclusions have been drawn which are relevant to the following potential factors in heterogeneous nucleation processes: (a) chemical structure, (b) crystallographic unit cell type, (c) lattice parameters, (d) crystallinity of substrate, and (e) surface energy of substrate.     

Crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) induced by inorganic compounds. I. Crystallization behavior from the glassy state in a low-temperature region

The kinetics of isothermal crystallization from the glassy state at low temperatures and the morphology of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) filled with additives are reported. Talc, kaolin, silicon oxide, and titanium oxide have been used as fillers; they act as effective nucleating agents for PET. The overall rate of crystallization depends on the volume concentration, the size distribution, and the nucleating ability of the additives. An electron microscopic study reveals a transcrystalline morphology at the surface of the filler particles. The occurrence of transcrystallinity is attributed to extensive heterogeneous nucleation induced at the filler surface. From the shape of the crystallization isotherms, it can be concluded that the crystallization mechanism depends on the type of filler.     

Transcrystallization of PTFE fiber/PP composites. II. Effect of transcrystallinity on the interfacial strength

It has been found that transcrystallinity of polypropylene (PP) develops easily on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fiber surface in spite of the low surface energy of the fiber. Effect of the transcrystallinity on the interfacial strength has been extensively investigated using a single-fiber pull-out test. By controlling the crystallization temperature, range 25–130°C, the thickness of the transcrystalline layer varied from 0 to 175 μm for thick specimens, ca. 1 mm thick. Measurements of the adhesive fracture energy, the interfacial shear strength and the frictional stress were carried out for specimens with different embedded fiber lengths. Results show that interfacial strength and fracture energy are independent of the transcrystalline thickness. The calculated value of interfacial shear strength is 3.6 MPa, and the fracture energy for debonding is 2.1 J/m². The presence of transcrystallinity does not promote the level of adhesion in PTFE/PP composites. However, the frictional stresses at the debonded fiber/matrix interface increase with transcrystalline thickness. It is attributed to the residual stresses which arise from shrinkage when specimens are cooled from crystallization temperature to room temperature. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Heterogeneous nucleation of crystallization of high polymers from the melt. III. Nucleation kinetics and interfacial energies

In the melt crystallization of isotactic polypropylene, poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(butene-1) in contact with substrates, the existence of a fixed number of nucleating sites on the substrate surfaces has been established. When these sites become active successively (the transient in the number of nuclei is long) during crystallization, pseudohomogeneous nucleation on the substrate occurs. Nucleation rates for poly(butene-1) and poly(ethylene oxide) on substrates and in bulk have been measured. These data can be used for comparing the nucleating ability of substrates. Estimates of the variation of bulk nucleation rates from one volume element to another as well as for repeated crystallization within a given volume element have been included. Finally, the temperature coefficients of heterogeneous nucleation rates have been combined with the temperature coefficient of spherulitic growth rate of poly(butene-1), to yield values of the interfacial energy parameters appearing in the theory of heterogeneous nucleation. The quantitative characterization of the nucleating ability of substrates by this method is an improvement over the mere use of nucleation densities or nucleation rates.     

Transcrystallization of PTFE fiber/PP composites (I) crystallization kinetics and morphology

Transcrystallization of polypropylene (PP) on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fiber was investigated. Both nucleation rate and crystal growth rate were determined by a polarized optical microscope. Based on the theory of heterogeneous nucleation, it has been found that the induction time can correlate well with the nucleation rate in determining the interfacial free energy difference function Δσ. The ratio of Δσ in the bulk matrix to that at the interface is 1.63 which implies the transcrystalline growth is favorable from a thermodynamic point of view. No difference in crystal growth rate of PP has been found in either spherulites or transcrystalline layers. On the basis of regime theory, a transition between regimes II and III was observed at ΔT = 48K. From the morphology studies, it has been found that the thickness of the transcrystalline layer increases with crystallization temperature, from 30 to 120 μm in the temperature range of 110–140°C. The growth of transcrystalline layer is hindered by the spherulites nucleated in the bulk. Moreover, the radius of spherulites adjacent to the transcrystalline layer is much smaller than that distant to the fiber. No significant increase in nucleation density at fiber ends is observed. Effect of internal stresses of fibers on the fiber's nucleating ability is not pronounced. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A study of transcrystallinity in polypropylene in the presence of wood irradiated with gamma rays

The interest in lignocellulosic composites has been growing in recent years because of their specific properties. In this study, a new technique of wood treatment using γ-irradiation was used. This research focuses on the influence of the gamma irradiation on the chemical composition of wood and on the nucleation ability of polypropylene matrice. The inner morphology of the transcrystalline layer was investigated using hot stage optical microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the kinetic parameters of polypropylene crystallization in the presence of wood surface. The results showed that the gamma irradiation can decrease the content of the cellulose in the wood, but it has a slightly negative effect on the transcrystallization process of polypropylene. This treatment also affects the crystal conversion and the half-time of PP crystallization. These results suggested that the gamma irradiation of wood may play a useful role in changing the microstructure of the matrice near the wood. It was observed that the nucleation of the wood surface was selective, indicating that the chemical characteristics of the lignocellulosics might have influence on the polypropylene crystallization. A possible mechanism for the appearance of transcrystallinity involving chemical composition of lignocellulosic is also proposed.     

Influence of wood mercerization on the crystallization of polypropylene in wood/PP composites

Mercerization process is very significant because the alkali treatment facilitates reactivity of lignocellulosic fillers, thus allowing better response to chemical modification. In the present study, the effect of mercerization of pine wood on the nucleation ability of polypropylene was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry. We discovered that for the composites with wood containing cellulose II, the decrease in the crystal conversion of the polymer matrix and increase in the half-time of crystallization values are significant. It can be concluded that the amount of cellulose II formed upon alkalization of lignocellulosic fillers determines their nucleation ability. To evaluate the transcrystalline effects caused by various woods, which were untreated or treated with sodium hydroxide, the polarized optical microscopy was also performed. The nucleation of polypropylene on the surface of wood was investigated by induction time measurement. It was found that surfaces of the unmodified wood generate epitaxial nucleation, whereas the mercerized wood generates nonepitaxial nucleation. The differences in the type of nucleation suggest that the effectiveness of formation of transcrystalline structures depends on the contribution of cellulose I and cellulose II. Moreover, the presence of epitaxy is not necessary for the appearance of transcrystalline structures. The results showed that the transcrystalline structures appeared in each system, even with wood containing significant contribution of cellulose II. The only difference noted was the change in the nucleation abilities of the wood surface. Results of this study imply the necessity of quantitative determination of the contributions of cellulose I and cellulose II, whose presence determine the type of nucleation and nucleation ability of the filler surface.     

Transcrystallization kinetics of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

We report the transcrystallinity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) on several different types of substrate materials. The supermolecular structure and its development were characterized with polarization microscopy, whereas differential scanning calorimetry was used for monitoring the isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics. Although only approximately applicable, an Avrami–Ozawa analysis of the latter yielded reliable exponents, which characterized the transcrystalline nucleation conditions, the related dimensionality of growth, and the resulting texture. The results complemented and agreed quantitatively with those of light microscopy. Several polymers, including poly(ethylene terephthalate), polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyimide, induced distinct transcrystallinity, but only a spherulitic supermolecular structure developed on glass and metallic substrates. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2130–2139, 2001     

Transcrystallization in nanofiber bundle/isotactic polypropylene composites: effect of matrix molecular weight

Polyamide 66 (PA 66) nanofiber bundles were first electrospun and then introduced into isotactic polypropylene (iPP) melts to prepare nanofiber bundle/iPP composites. To reveal the influences of matrix molecular weight (M _n ) on the transcrystalline layer, three kinds of iPP with different M _n were adopted. Polarized optical microscope was employed to investigate the transcrystallinity. In the presence of PA 66 nanofiber bundle, the heterogeneous nucleation distinctly happened in iPP melts. Moreover, the higher the iPP M _n , the denser the nuclei. Both a decrease in matrix M _n and an increase in isothermal crystallization temperature led to an increase in the induction time. The maximum temperature at which the transcrystalline layer can be optically observed increased with the increase of M _n . The growth rate of transcrystallinity decreased with the increasing M _n and crystallization temperature. Moreover, selective melting of the transcrystalline layers confirmed that it was merely composed of α form crystal for all composites.     

Study of the assembled morphology of aryl amide derivative and its influence on the nonisothermal crystallizations of isotactic polypropylene

The nonisothermal crystallization behaviors of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with an aryl amide derivative TMB‐5 as β‐form nucleating agent has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. The feature of crystallite morphology depends on concentration and thermal conditions. At low concentrations, TMB‐5 molecules aggregate into fibril structures and presented blunt exothermic peak with a shoulder at high temperature. The surface of these fibrils host active sites tailored for the nucleation of β‐iPP, represented by clusters of microcrystallites. With increasing concentration, αβ‐transcrystalline layer develops on the lateral surface of needle‐shaped TMB‐5. Enhanced multiple endotherms indicate the ensuing crystals are less perfect and easily transformed into more stable forms. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 314–325, 2009     

The effect of transcrystallinity on the behavior of fibers in polymer matrices

Single copper fibers embedded in a polypropylene matrix along part of their length will, on application of a tensile load, break in the absence of transcrystallinity adjacent to the fiber, or pull out of the polymer matrix in the presence of a transcrystalline zone. It is shown that the transcrystalline zone allows thinning of the fiber in the matrix up to the point at which compressive forces created by the shrinkage of the polymer around the fiber on cooling are removed and fiber pullout occurs.     

Transcrystallization of PTFE fiber/PP composites—III. Effect of fiber pulling on the crystallization kinetics

The effect of shear rates on the transcrystallization of polypropylene (PP) on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers has been quantitatively investigated using a polarized optical microscope equipped with a hot stage and a tensile testing machine. The PTFE fibers were pulled at different rates, from 0.17 to 8.33 μm/s, to induce a range of shear rates, about 0.02 to 1.16 1/s, in the PP melt adjacent to the fiber. The induction time, nucleation rate, and saturated nucleation density at the fiber surface were determined at various crystallization temperatures. It was found that both the nucleation rate and the saturated nucleation density increase with increasing shear rates. However, the induction time is significantly reduced. Based on the theory of heterogeneous nucleation, the interfacial free energy difference functions Δσ;_TCL of PP on PTFE fibers at different levels of shear rates were determined and compared with that obtained from crystallization under quiescent conditions. Results showed that the magnitude of Δσ_TCL decreased to be about one-third of that for the quiescent crystallization, when a shear rate of 1.16 1/s was applied. The application of a shear stress to the supercooled PP melt by fiber pulling leads to enhance the development of transcrystallinity. Moreover, both the thickness and the crystal growth rate of transcrystalline layers were found to increase with the increasing rate of fiber pulling, especially at low crystallization temperatures where regime III prevails (see text). Surface morphology of PTFE fibers was revealed using a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. It is argued that the presence of fibrillar-type features at the fiber surface is the main factor responsible for the development of transcrystallinity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1361–1370, 1998     

Computer simulation of crystallization kinetics and morphology in fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. III. Thermal nucleation

A computer simulation has been used to predict crystallization kinetics and crystalline morphology in composite materials based on thermally nucleated crystallizable matrices. As demonstrated for athermally nucleated composites, the presence of reinforcing fibers increases the complexity of the system. Fibers are shown to have a dual effect on the spherulitic crystallization process. The influence that fibers have depends on the interplay between the enhancing effects that fibers have on nucleation and the depressing effects that fibers have on spherulitic growth. Fibers that do not provide additional nuclei to the system depress the rate of crystallization relative to an unreinforced polymer, while fibers that add nuclei to the system increase the rate of crystallization. The transcrystalline morphologies that develop in thermally nucleated fiber-reinforced polymers are controlled primarily by the relative numbers of bulk and fiber nuclei. The extent of transcrystalline regions can be suppressed either by increasing the rate of bulk nucleation, or by decreasing the rate of fiber nucleation. Finally, the qualitative appearance of the morphology in the transcrystalline region was found to be indicative of the mode of fiber nucleation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Transcrystallinity in polypropylene

A study using hot-stage microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry in assessing the ability of a number of substrates to nucleate transcrystalline growth in polypropylene is reported. Surface energy, chemical composition, crystal morphology, and moisture content of the substrate are discounted as being of importance in determining the ability of a substrate to nucleate polypropylene. It is concluded that surface topography plays a major role and it is argued that a prealignment of polymer chains occur in suitably sized cracks or channels on the surface. The rate of cooling the melt also dramatically influences the nucleating activity of a surface and this is ascribed to interfacial stresses resulting from differential contraction.     

碳纤维对聚丙烯结晶行为的影响

本文用偏光显微镜和示差扫描量热计(DSC)方法研究了碛纤维对聚丙烯结晶行为的影响。碳纤维表面对聚丙烯结晶过程具有明显的促进作用,纤维表面成核密度轻高,结晶生长成为横穿结晶,结晶特征温度随碳纤维加入而有不同程度的升高。结晶动力学表明:结晶生长本质仍是球晶机理,促进聚丙烯结晶的原因是碳纤维使结晶过程的表面自由能降低。     

Transcrystallization of polypropylene at cellulose nanocrystal surfaces

There is a resurgence of interest in composite materials incorporating cellulose as fibrous reinforcement in semicrystalline melt-processed polymers. Potential natural cellulose sources range from flax and ramie fibres down to whiskers and nanocrystals isolated from bacteria. It has long been known that the crystallization of matrix polymers such as polypropylene may be preferentially nucleated by Cellulose I surfaces, leading to a “transcrystalline” layer around the fiber. In this note, a transcrystalline layer at the edge of films cast from cellulose nanocrystal suspensions is demonstrated, and preferential nucleation of polypropylene on nanocrystals deposited on a glass surface is also observed.     

聚合物结晶成核剂作用的表征方法的比较和研究

用聚合物的等速降温过程的结晶温度，等温结晶过程的半结晶时间（ｔ１／２）或结晶速度常数（Ｋ），结晶过程的晶核密度或球晶尺寸大小和聚合物结晶成核界面自由能（σσｅ或σｅ）大小等方法描述了碳酸钙、对苯二甲酸、苯甲酸钠对聚丙烯成核结晶过程的影响．通过对不同方法的比较，结果表明不同方法是从不同角度来反映助剂对聚合物成核结晶过程的影响，聚合物结晶温度的高低和等温结晶过程的半结晶时间或结晶速度常数是描述聚合物整体结晶速度的参数；而聚合物结晶过程中晶核密度或结晶完了时聚合物球晶尺寸，和聚合物结晶成核界面自由能大小与聚合物的成核难易程度直接相关，是判断聚合物结晶成核速度的方法．但不同方法之间存在一定的相关性，所以用不同方法测定的结果之间有较好的可比性，可根据具体条件选用一种方法．多种方法的配合使用可以较全面的了解成核剂的作用．     

半晶聚合物复合材料中的横晶

半晶聚合物复合材料,尤其是纤维增强的半晶聚合物复合材料,在其界面区常有横晶结构生成。本文综述了横晶自发现至今的研究情况,对横晶的形成和生长机理进行了描述,对影响横晶生成和性质的因素进行了分析,着重介绍了几种典型半晶聚合物复合材料体系的横晶形态,并讨论了横晶对界面特性和复合材料性能的影响。     

碳纤维-尼龙1010界面形态的研究

通过偏光显微镜,研究了碳纤维-尼龙1010的界面形态,发现石墨、高模量碳纤维(M40)诱发尼龙1010形成横晶的能力大于高强度、中强度碳纤维;界面横晶形态强烈地依赖于结晶温度。     

Melt crystallization of polypropylene: Effect of contact with fiber substrates

The isothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene at different temperatures in the presence of fibrous substrates has been investigated. It is shown that preferential transcrystalline growth occurs at the fiber surface and that changes in nucleation density in the bulk material adjacent to the fibers also occur, the extent of which is dependent on temperature and fiber volume fraction. The effects are discussed in terms of the diffusion of heterogeneities in the bulk due to interaction and the adsorption on the fibers.