Visualization of structural rearrangements responsible for temperature-induced shrinkage of amorphous polycarbonate after its deformation at different conditions

Structural rearrangements during the temperature-induced shrinkage of amorphous polycarbonate after its tensile drawing below and above the glass transition temperature, rolling at room temperature, and solvent crazing have been studied with the use of the direct microscopic procedure. This evidence demonstrates that the character of structural rearrangements during the temperature-induced shrinkage of the oriented amorphous polymer is primarily controlled by the temperature and mode of deformation. In the case of the polymer sample stretched above the glass transition temperature, the subsequent temperature-induced shrinkage is shown to be homogeneous and proceeds via the simultaneous diffusion of polymer chains within the whole volume of the polymer sample. When polymer deformation is carried out at temperatures below the glass transition temperature, the subsequent temperature-induced shrinkage within the volume of the polymer sample is inhomogeneous and proceeds via the movement of rather large polymer blocks that are separated by the regions of inelastically deformed polymer (shear bands or crazes).     

Visualization of structural rearrangements during annealing of solvent-crazed isotactic polypropylene

Structural rearrangements taking place upon the annealing of solvent-crazed isotactic PP are studied by the direct microscopic method. Independently of the type of its crystalline structure, solvent-crazed PP undergoes shrinkage in a wide temperature interval, starting even from room temperature and up to its melting temperature. This shrinkage is a result of the structural processes in crazes and proceeds via shutting down of the walls of individual crazes. This low-temperature shrinkage of solvent-crazed PP is assumed to have an entropy nature. This process involves the contraction of extended polymer chains and their transition into thermodynamically favorable conformations. This contraction is allowed because, upon annealing, the entropy contracting force increases. As a result, the crystalline framework of oriented PP melts down (amorphization), extended chains appear contracted, stored stresses relax, and subsequent recrystallization in the unstressed state takes place.     

The effect of preliminary orientation of polymers via tensile drawing at elevated temperature on solvent crazing

We studied how the preliminary orientation of an amorphous glassy PET via its uniaxial tensile drawing above the glass transition temperature affects the deformation behavior during subsequent tensile drawing in the presence of adsorptionally active environments. The tensile drawing of the preoriented PET samples with a low degree of preliminary orientation (below 100%) in the presence of liquid environments proceeds via the mechanism of solvent crazing; however, when a certain critical tensile strain is achieved (150% for PET), the ability of oriented samples to experience crazing appears to be totally suppressed. When the tensile drawing of preoriented samples is performed at a constant strain rate, the craze density in the sample increases with increasing degree of preliminary orientation; however when the test samples are stretched under creep conditions, the craze density markedly decreases. This behavior can be explained by a partial healing and smoothening of surface defects during preliminary orientation and by the effect of entanglement network. The preliminary orientation of polymers provides an efficient means for control over the craze density and the volume fraction of fibrillar polymer material in crazes.     

Visualization of temperature-induced structural rearrangements in oriented amorphous polymers

Thermally stimulated shrinkage of amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(vinyl chloride) oriented above their glass transition temperatures over a broad range of strain rates was studied by direct microscopic examination. The principle of revealing structural rearrangements is as follows. Before annealing, an oriented sample is coated with a thin (a few nanometers) metal layer. Subsequent annealing, which entails a change in the geometric dimensions of a polymer, leads to the appearance of a surface relief in the coating. The direct microscopic examination of the microrelief provides information on structural rearrangements in the polymer substrate. It was shown that identical microreliefs were formed in PVC independently of its preliminary stretching. For PET, it was found that the self-extension process in the direction of the draw axis was effected along with contraction during annealing. The superimposition of these processes is imaged as relief with two perpendicular folded structures. The obtained results give direct information on stress fields responsible for processes that occur in oriented polymers during their annealing; such information is difficult or even impossible to gain by any other means.     

Crystallization in oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers. II. Consequences in subsequent deformation

When a melt-spun poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fiber is heat treated at a temperature above its glass transition temperature, the relative rates at which the crystallization and major orientational relaxation processes occur have been shown to have a pronounced effect on the structure of the fiber and its deformability. The present study describes the consequences of this aspect, with examples from drawing of melt-spun PET fibers subsequent to their crystallization by thermal annealing. Additional features of the highly ordered PET fibers which can be produced through a combination of oriented crystallization and drawing at high temperatures are also given.     

Visualization of strain-induced structural rearrangements in amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A direct microscopic observation procedure is applied to study the deformation of amorphous PET decorated with a thin metal layer when stretching is performed at different draw rates and at temperatures below and above the glass transition temperature T _g. Analysis of the formed microrelief allows stress fields responsible for the deformation of the polymer to be visualized and characterized. When tensile drawing is performed at temperatures above T _g, inhomogeneity of stress fields increases with the increasing draw rate; at high draw rates, the stress-induced crystallization of PET takes place. In the case of drawing the polymer at temperatures below T _g, direct microscopic observations make it possible to visualize the development of shear bands that appear in the unoriented part of the polymer specimen adjacent to the neck. The shear bands are oriented at an angle of about 45° with respect to the draw direction. When necking involves the unoriented part of the polymer, shear bands abruptly change their orientation and become aligned practically parallel to the draw axis.     

Calorimetric studies of poly(ethylene terephthalate) stretching over a wide temperature range

Heat effects and structural transformations in amorphous crystallizable poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) during uniaxial stretching accompanied by neck formation, have been investigated by calorimetric and x-ray methods over a wide range of temperatures and deformation rates. At small deformation (not exceeding 1–2%) and at temperatures below the glass transition temperature of the polymer, PET behaves as an elastic body. Upon stretching at a constant rate, constant heat power is absorbed, heat effects during loading and unloading coincide completely, and no hysteresis is observed. At large deformations (of the order of 50%), cold drawing develops in this temperature range. The internal energy change in cold drawing is zero within experimental error. A periodic heat release during the self-oscillation regime of drawing PET corresponds to periodic changes in stress, in the rate of the neck formation, and in the appearance of the sample. The temperature limits of the region where crystallization resulting from an uniaxial drawing of the polymer is possible, have been determined, and the heat effect of this phase transition has been measured. Orientation crystallization develops only from 70 to 94°C. These limits are insensitive to changes in deformation rate within one decimal order. The structure of PET in this temperature range has been investigated. The heat of phase transition of orientation crystallization of PET has been determined from the relationship between the measured values of the internal energy change during this process and the limiting degree of crystallinity for the stretched samples. This heat proves to be 5.5 ± 0.1 cal/g.     

拉伸热历史对取向聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯膜在热处理过程中收缩和伸长的影响

弄清取向非晶态聚合物在热处理过程中的收缩和伸长的变化规律,以及所对应的结构变化,有较大的实用意义和科学意义。 对于取向聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯的热收缩和热伸长已有很多研究,但对于拉伸热历史对取向PET在热处理过程中的尺寸变化的影响尚缺乏系统的研究。在热拉伸的过程中发生分子链的取向、热弛豫和结晶三个相互竞争的过程。因此,改变拉伸条件可以得到具有各种不同取向和结晶的PET试样。当非晶态PET膜片在80-105℃以较低     

Study of crystallinity and thermomechanical analysis of annealed poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

The objective of this article was the determination of the degree of crystallinity of a series of heat-set poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films and their study by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in order to elucidate a peculiar behaviour that takes place around the glass transition region. For this purpose, amorphous cast Mylar films from DuPont were annealed at 115 °C for various periods of time. Four methods were used to study the crystallinity of the samples prepared: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density measurements (DM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). From the results obtained, the following conclusions are drawn: amorphous PET Mylar films can be crystallized in a degree of about up to 30% after thermal treatment for 30 min (cold crystallization) above glass transition temperature. When these semicrystalline samples are subjected to TMA, they show a two step penetration of the probe into them, which decreases with the increase of the degree of crystallinity. The first step of penetration was attributed to the shrinkage of the amorphous or semicrystalline sample, which takes place on the glass transition temperature, while the second step was attributed to the continuous softening of the sample, and the reorganization of the matter which takes place on heating run due to cold crystallization.     

Specifics of change in the surface area of amorphous poly(vinyl chloride) during its inelastic deformation

A direct microscopic observation procedure was used to study the processes of deformation and shrinkage of poly(vinyl chloride) above its glass transition temperature. Prior to stretching or contraction of the polymer, its surface was decorated with a thin (10–15 nm) metal layer. As a result of subsequent deformation (shrinkage), the decoration underwent structural rearrangements, which were detected by means of direct microscopic examination. These rearrangements contain information on the mechanism of deformation of the polymer substrate. In particular, the procedure makes it possible to characterize the process of development of the interface in the polymer during deformation and the reverse process of interface contraction during the shrinkage of the material. It was found that, in the case of an increase in the interfacial area, its growth is accompanied by a growth in imperfection of the polymer surface layer. These defects can concentrate mechanical stress, thus strongly affecting the fragmentation of the metal decoration on the polymer surface. It was shown that the surface defects could be eliminated by annealing of the polymer above its glass transition temperature. The introduction of a plasticizer that decreases the glass transition temperature below the deformation temperature likewise prevents the development of these defects during an increase in the surface area of the polymer in the process of its inelastic deformation.     

THE ORIENTATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE

The drawing behavior of three types of PET spherulites and PET amorphous samples have beenstudied. Two different sample preparation techniques were used in this study: (1) The films withnormal positive, normal negative or abnormal spherulites were prepared by solution casting tech-niques, then the films were deformed by uniaxial drawing. The uniaxial drawing behavior of PETspherulites appears to be dependent on the angles between the c-axis and the radius direction of thespherulites and that the deformation of spherulites becomes more difficult the larger the angles. (2)Amorphous films of PET were prepared first, then the films were deformed under uniaxial drawingto achieve c-axis orientation at a temperature near the glass transition temperature. The orientedfilms were subsequently annealed with fixed length at 215℃The films prepared in this way ex-hibit excellent c-axis orientation along the stretching direction. The degree of perfection of thecrystalline structure is much greater than that of the spherulites.     

Caracterisation par analyse enthalpique differentielle du poly(ethylene-terephthalate) deforme

This study has been undertaken in order to establish an experimental method to characterize strained PET samples by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. We propose a method for sealing the samples to avoid the shrinkage at the glass transition temperature of the polymer. This method allowed characterization of the influence of the polymer chain orientation on the glass transition temperature and correlation of the endo-exotherm exchanges with the semi-crystalline structure of strained PET samples.     

Structure development and physical properties achieved in the drawing and/or annealing of PEN fibers

As‐spun poly(ethylene‐2,6‐naphthalate) (PEN) fibers (i.e., precursors) prepared from high molecular weight polymer were drawn and/or annealed under various conditions. Structure and property variations taking place during the treatment process were followed via wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), small‐angle X‐ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical testing. Both the WAXS and DSC measurements of the cold‐drawn samples stretched from a low‐speed‐spun amorphous fiber indicate that strain‐induced crystallization can occur at a temperature below the glass‐transition temperature and that the resultant crystal is in the α‐form modification. In contrast, when the same precursor was subjected to constrained annealing, its amorphous characteristics remained unchanged even though the annealing was performed at 200 °C. These results may imply that the application of stretching stress is more important than elevated temperatures in producing α‐form crystallization. The crystalline structure of the hot‐drawn samples depends significantly on the morphology of the precursor fibers. When the precursor was wound at a very low speed and in a predominantly amorphous state, hot drawing induced the formation of crystals that were apparently pure α‐form modification. For the β‐form crystallized precursors wound at higher speeds, a partial crystalline transition from the β form to the α form was observed during the hot drawing. In contrast with the mechanical properties of the as‐spun fibers, those of the hot‐drawn products are not improved remarkably because the draw ratio is extremely limited for most as‐spun fibers in which an oriented crystalline structure has already formed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1424–1435, 2000     

Comparison of statistical and blocky copolymers of ethylene terephthalate and ethylene 4,4′‐bibenzoate based on thermal behavior and oxygen transport properties

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was blended with a frustrated liquid‐crystalline polymer, poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐4,4′‐bibenzoate) (PETBB55), in the weight ratio 70:30. Under the melt conditions used for blending, NMR analysis showed that some transesterification had occurred. Accordingly, the blended product resembled a blocky copolymer more closely than it did a physical blend. A random copolymer with the same composition was synthesized for comparison. The study examined the effect of the comonomer distribution (blocky vs random) on the thermal behavior and oxygen transport properties of the glassy and cold‐drawn polymers. The glass‐transition temperatures and the crystallization behavior suggested that the PETBB55 blocks phase‐separated as very small domains. Higher levels of orientation, as indicated by higher densities and higher trans glycol fractions, were achieved by the cold drawing of the blocky copolymer. It was speculated that the cold drawing of the blocky copolymer at temperatures up to the glass‐transition temperature of the PETBB55 blocks produced highly oriented PETBB55 domains. Constraints imposed by connections between PET and the PETBB55 blocks prevented the relaxation of the continuous PET phase, even at temperatures well above the glass‐transition temperature of the PET blocks. In this sense, the blocky copolymer embodied the concept of a self‐reinforcing polymer. As a result, an improved oxygen barrier was obtained over a wider range of cold‐draw temperatures with the blocky copolymer. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 289–307, 2003     

Crystallization in oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers. I. Fundamental aspects

The nature of crystallization- and mobility-induced changes during annealing of melt-spun poly(ethylene terephthalate) precursor fibers of a range of orientations has been examined. The kinetics of crystallization and the accompanying orientational changes have been studied under conditions of constant, low tensile stress, with the accompanying dimensional changes and under a constraint against shrinkage in length, with the stress developed being monitored. The effects of precursor orientation and externally imposed constraints on the course of the fundamental crystallization and orientational relaxation processes are revealed. Oriented crystallization has been shown to have a significant effect on the stress developed and on the dimensions of oriented precursor fibers, with a strong tendency to spontaneously extend as a consequence of the reorientation of crystallizing segments predominantly along the preferred fiber direction. The sequence in which crystallization and major orientational relaxation, if any, occur is found to have a profound effect on the structure and thus the deformability of oriented fibers after annealing above the glass transition temperature.     

Specific features of the formation of poly(vinylchloride)-dye composites based on solvent-crazed nanostructured polymer matrices

Healing and migration of dye molecules in porous nanostructured amorphous-polymer-dye systems prepared by solvent crazing are studied by the method of spectroscopy in the visible spectral region. The conversion of the above processes is controlled by the temperature in the temperature interval above T _g of the bulk polymer. Both processes proceed simultaneously and are independent. After the removal of AALE from the composite and shrinkage of the polymer sample at room temperature, crazes preserve their fibrillar structure, which can be identified by light scattering at 400–600 nm. The main contribution to healing from the fibrillar material of crazes is provided by the reptational mobility of macromolecules, a conclusion that is confirmed by the power dependence of light scattering of the sample on the duration of its thermal treatment with an exponent of 1/4 as well as by the activation energy of this process, which is ∼400 kJ/mol. The kinetic dependences of the intensity of absorption bands of monomer forms of a dye on annealing time have an exponent of 1/2 and show two linear regions. This behavior can be explained by the migration of dye molecules in their monomer form from their absorbed state on the surface of the fibrillar crazed material first into the volume of fibrils and then into the volume of bulk-polymer regions. All the above phenomena are provided by the unique structure of the solvent-crazed polymer material (alternation of the closely spaced regions containing fibrillar material and bulk-polymer regions).     

高取向聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯纤维的热收缩应力

为得到具有更高拉伸强度和模量的半晶聚合物纤维,需要使分子链充分结晶和取向,然而这种高度取向样品受热时,随着温度的升高,取向的非晶态分子链熵力增大,解取向可以自发进行.在外加张力较小时,纤维产生热收缩;在定长状态下,表现为外加张力增大,此过程被视为取向材料中＂冻结＂内应力的释放,通常将这种内应力称为热收缩应力。     

Visualization of deformation-induced structural rearrangements in amorphous polymers

A technique is proposed for decorating amorphous polymers: Before the deformation (shrinkage) of an amorphous polymer, its surface is decorated with a thin metal coating. The subsequent deformation is accompanied by surface structure formation, which makes the processes that occur in the polymer visible. The proposed technique makes it possible to visualize and describe the mechanism of transfer of the polymer from the surface into the bulk and vice versa and to obtain direct information about the direction of the actual local stress. The technique makes it possible to obtain information about the topological heterogeneity of rubber networks, to reveal the features of structural rearrangements that occur during the cold rolling of amorphous polymers, and to describe the phenomenon of self-elongation during annealing of the oriented PET. These microscopic data explain the following features of the structural and mechanical behavior of glassy polymers from a unified viewpoint: stress relaxation in a polymer in the elastic (Hookean) region of the stress-strain curve, an increase in stress in a deformed glassy polymer during its isometric annealing below T _g, the low-temperature shrinkage of a deformed polymer glass in the strain range below its yield point, the storage of internal energy in a deformed glassy polymer in the strain range below the yield point, some anomalies of thermophysical properties, and some other features.     

取向非晶态聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)膜的结晶

采用小角和广角X-散射法比较了未拉和热拉PET膜在结晶性能方面的差别,热拉试样在分子链段的小尺度范围内基本上是无规取向,而在分子链的大尺度范围内却是高度取向的。研究结果表明:热拉PET膜的结晶诱导期较短,长周期发展得较快,结晶后小角X-线散射表现出明显的各向异性,在热处理过程中先出现显著的热收缩,随后又表现出结晶伸长现象,这些都和未拉试样有明显的差别。     

Glass transition in semicrystalline polycarbonate

The intensity of the glass transition in semicrystalline polycarbonate was measured by differential scanning calorimetry and by thermally stimulated discharge of electrets. Solution-cast and bulk-crystallized samples possessing widely varying crystallinities and morphologies were investigated. It is shown that the intensity of the glass transition is governed by the extent of primary crystallization and is a linear combination of intensities from the bulk amorphous regions and from noncrystalline polymer within semicrystalline aggregates such as spherulites. The intensity of the glass transition within spherulites is about 0.1–0.3 as great as that in bulk amorphous regions. A three-phase model incorporating two distinct types of noncrystalline polycarbonate is proposed to account for the properties of this polymer.