Polyethylene–isotactic polypropylene epitaxy: Analysis of the diffraction patterns of oriented biphasic blends

Diffraction patterns of oriented blends of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and polyethylene (PE) published recently by several authors are analyzed on the basis of a unique epitaxial relationship between the iPP and PE crystal lattices. The contact planes are (100)_PE and (010)_iPP, and the PE chains lie at 50° to the iPP chain axis, parallel to the helical path of the iPP helices, which is formed by rows of side-group methyls.     

Nucleation and overgrowth of PE on PTFE/iPP interfaces

Using an experimental setup with a three‐phase intersecting boundary of PTFE/PE/iPP, the nucleation power of PTFE compared to iPP on the PE was studied by TEM. It was found that the nucleation of the PE on the PTFE interface started at a higher temperature than epitaxial nucleation of the PE onto the iPP interface. During cooling of the melt, the growth direction of the PE crystalline lamellae changes in a continuous manner from the transcrystallization direction of the PTFE/PE interface into the heteroepitaxial “crosshatched” orientation of the iPP/PE interface. A (still highly speculative) self‐assembly of the PE macromolecules at the respective interface just in front of the actual crystallization edge is used to explain this observed phenomenon. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 80–83, 2000     

Insight into understanding the evolution of the epitaxy crystallization in isotactic polypropylene and polyethylene blends

In this article, epitaxial structures have been successfully obtained in the isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/polyethylene (PE) blends by an accessible injection molding methods. By studying a series of iPP/PE blends, the evolution of the epitaxial growth of PE lamellae on the oriented iPP lamellae has been detailedly discussed via wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Unexpectedly, the exactly epitaxial angles between peculiarly arranged PE lamellae and oriented PP lamellae are all larger than the classical epitaxy theory value of 50°, and it even increases gradually with increasing PP content. It is inferred that the special crystallization of PE is the consequence of joint construction of the oriented PP crystals and the continuous intense shear field provided by pressure vibration injection molding. The epitaxial structures play a positive role in the interfacial connection between two components; thus, the mechanical properties of the blends are improved. This work provides an insight understanding on the formation mechanism of the epitaxy crystallization under shear field. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

降温速率对高密度聚乙烯在全同立构聚丙烯上附生结晶的影响

用欠焦电子显微术和电子衍射技术研究了降温速率对高密度聚乙烯（ＨＤＰＥ）在全同立构聚丙烯（ｉＰＰ）上附生结晶的影响．ＨＤＰＥ在高取向ｉＰＰ基质膜上的附生生长仅发生在ＨＤＰＥ与ｉＰＰ的直接接触面上，存在一临界附生层厚度，超出这一厚度的ＨＤＰＥ与ｉＰＰ无取向附生关系．降温速率不影响附生层内的ＨＤＰＥ与ｉＰＰ的附生结构关系，但对ｉＰＰ基质膜上附生生长的ＨＤＰＥ的厚度，即ＨＤＰＥ的临界附生层厚度有明显影响．在缓慢降温（０．５℃／ｍｉｎ）条件下，ＨＤＰＥ在ｉＰＰ上的附生层厚度约为１００ｎｍ．而室温空气降温条件下，ＨＤＰＥ在ｉＰＰ上的附生层厚度则为２５０ｎｍ．     

Epitaxial and graphoepitaxial growth of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) from the melt on highly oriented high density polyethylene (HDPE) substrates

Although under normal conditions only the crystallization behavior of PE on oriented iPP substrates can be studied due to the higher melting point of iPP, the faster crystallization rate of a molten, oriented HDPE film compared to a nonoriented iPP layer was used to study the crystallization of iPP on the oriented HDPE film by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED). Besides the known epitaxial relationship of HDPE/iPP with their chains 50° apart, two new orientation relationships with (a) chains of both polymers parallel and (hk0)_iPP in contact with the HDPE substrate, and (b) the a‐axis of iPP crystals parallel to the chain direction of HDPE but (001)_iPP in contact with the HDPE substrate were observed. Both orientations are assumed as graphoepitaxy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1893–1898, 1999     

Semicrystalline blends of polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene: Improving mechanical performance by enhancing the interfacial structure

The low‐temperature mechanical behavior of semicrystalline polymer blends is investigated. Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) is blended with both Zeigler–Natta polyethylene (PE) and metallocene PE. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on failed tensile bars reveals that the predominate failure mode in the Zeigler–Natta blend is interfacial, while that in the metallocene blend is failure of the iPP matrix. The observed change in failure mode is accompanied by a 40% increase in both tensile toughness and elongation at −10 °C. We argue that crystallite anchoring of interfacially entangled chains is responsible for this dramatic property improvement in the metallocene blend. The interfacial width between PE and iPP melts is approximately 40 Å, allowing significant interfacial entanglement in both blends. TEM micrographs illustrate that the segregation of low molecular weight amorphous material in the Zeigler–Natta blend reduces the number and quality of crystallite anchors as compared with the metallocene blend. The contribution of anchored interfacial structure was further explored by introducing a block copolymer at the PE/iPP interface in the metallocene blend. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) experiments show the block copolymer dilutes the number of crystalline anchors, decoupling the interface. Increasing the interfacial coverage of the block copolymer reduces the number of anchored interfacial chains. At 2% block copolymer loading, the low‐temperature failure mode of the metallocene blend changes from iPP failure to interfacial failure, reducing the blend toughness and elongation to that of the Zeigler–Natta blend. This work demonstrates that anchored interfacial entanglements are a critical factor in designing semicrystalline blends with improved low‐temperature properties. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 108–121, 2000     

Probing into the epitaxial crystallization of β form isotactic polypropylene: From experimental observations to molecular mechanics computation

Compared with the most stable crystalline form of isotactic polypropylene (α‐iPP), β‐iPP shows superior impact strength and high temperature performance, though the mechanism of how the frustrated structure of β‐iPP is formed still remains unclear. In present work, the single crystal structure of a traditional β‐iPP nucleating agent, N,N′‐dicyclohexylterephthalamide (DCHT), was obtained for the first time and correlated with the epitaxial crystallization of β‐iPP on the surface of DCHT crystal. The combination of synchrotron radiation X‐ray microdiffraction and molecular chain packing model confirmed that a two dimensional match of chain‐axis and inter‐chain direction coexists between β‐iPP (110) plane and DCHT (001) plane. It was further found that an epitaxial model is helpful to understand the formation of the frustrated structure of 3₁ helices packing in β‐iPP. The molecular mechanics computation showed that as the (001) plane of DCHT is fixed, the packing mode of β‐iPP (110) plane on the substrate surface is more stable than that of α‐iPP (010) plane. This work clarifies the epitaxial crystallization mechanism of β‐iPP on DCHT by employing both experimental and computational evidences. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 418–424     

Epitaxial crystallization and oriented structure of linear low‐density polyethylene/isotactic polypropylene blends obtained via dynamic packing injection molding

In this work, as a part of a long‐term project aimed at controlling of crystal structure and phase morphology for a injection molded product, we investigated the oriented structure and possible epitaxial growth of polyolefin blend (low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE)/isotatic polypropylene (iPP)), achieved by dynamic packing injection molding, which introduced strong oscillatory shear on the gradually‐cooled melt during the packing process. The crystalline and oriented structures of the prepared blends with different compositions were estimated in detail through 2D X‐ray diffraction, calorimetry, and optical microscopy. As iPP was the dominant phase (its content was more than 50 wt%), our results indicated that it could be highly oriented in the blends. In such case, it was interesting to find that LLDPE epitaxially crystallized on the oriented iPP through a crystallographic matching between (100)_LLDPE and (010)_iPP, resulting in an inclination of LLDPE chains, about 50° to the iPP chain axis. On the other hand, as iPP was the minor phase, iPP was less oriented and no epitaxial growth between iPP and LLDPE was observed; even LLDPE remained oriented. The composition‐dependent epitaxial growth of LLDPE on oriented iPP could be understood as due to: (1) the effect of crystallization sequence, it was found that iPP always crystallized before LLDPE for all compositions; (2) the dependence of oriented iPP structure on the blend composition; (3) the “mutual nucleation” between LLDPE and iPP due to their partial miscibility. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Epitaxial behavior of HDPE on the boundary of highly oriented iPP substrates

The epitaxial crystallization behavior of high-density polyethylene on the boundary of highly oriented isotactic polypropylene (iPP) substrates has been investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results obtained from AFM and TEM indicate that the epitaxial nucleation of HDPE on the highly oriented iPP substrates occurs earlier than that in the pure HDPE phase, i.e., homogeneous nucleation. Therefore the epitaxially grown HDPE lamellae can grow across the boundary of the iPP substrate into the HDPE spherulitic phase with the epitaxial orientation relationship remaining.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(4‐alkyl‐4‐methyl‐2‐azetidinone)s

Poly‐β‐amides (nylons 3) were synthesized via the anionic polymerization of a series of 4‐alkyl‐4‐methyl‐2‐azetidinones where the alkyl group is a methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, or pentyl. The “non‐assisted” polymerization was conducted under vacuum, in the bulk, at 160°C, using potassium 2‐pyrrolidonate as catalyst, whereas the “assisted” polymerization was carried in dimethylsulfoxide, at room temperature, using N‐acetylpyrrolidinone‐2 as activator but it gave no polymer with a propyl or bulkier side group. Side reactions occur in all cases. X‐ray spectra showed that poly(4‐alkyl‐4‐methyl‐2‐azetidinone)s are amorphous with propyl, butyl, and pentyl groups, and semi‐crystalline with methyl or ethyl substituents. Both semi‐crystalline polyamides exhibit an extended planar zigzag conformation, with a fiber identity period along the c axis of 4.9 Å. Glass transition temperatures, melting temperatures, and/or decomposition temperatures are also reported. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 761–769, 1999     

Combined effect of chemically compound graphene oxide‐calcium pimelate on crystallization behavior,morphology and mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene

The combined nucleation effect of graphene oxide (GO) and calcium pimelate (CaPi) which are chemically compound together (expressed in GO ? CaPi) in isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was investigated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) verified that CaPi was chemically compound with GO by chelate bonds. The crystallization behavior and crystalline morphologies of iPP nucleated with different mass ratio of GO and CaPi were investigated. The crystallization peak temperature of iPP nucleated with 0.2 wt% GO ? CaPi with the mass ratio of 1:5 (GO1 ? C5) was increased by 8.3°C when compared with that of pure iPP, and the relative content of β‐crystal reached up to 0.7962. Whereas, the crystallization peak temperature of iPP nucleated with 0.2 wt% GO and CaPi which are blended together by mechanical force (expressed in GO + CaPi) with the mass ratio of 1:5 (GO1 + C5) was only increased by 5.0°C. It was attributed to that the aggregation of GO + CaPi caused the decrease of the crystallization peak temperature, while the GO1 ? C5 uniformly dispersed in the iPP matrix. Unexpectedly, the relative content of β‐crystal of iPP nucleated with 0.02 wt% GO1 ? C5 reached up to 0.8094, and the crystallization peak temperature was increased by 6.7°C compared with that of pure iPP. Meanwhile, the impact strength, tensile strength and heat deflection temperature of iPP nucleated with 0.02 wt% GO1 ? C5 increased by almost 45.86%, 2.03% and 7.7°C, respectively. The iPP nucleated with GO1 ? C5 obtained a balance between stiffness and toughness and the thermo‐mechanical property of nucleated iPP was improved.     

Crystal structure of nylons 2/3/3 and 1,3

The crystal structures of two polyamides, poly(glycyl-β-alanyl-β-alanine) (nylon 2/3/3) and poly(methylene malonamide) (nylon 1,3), have been investigated by x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Crystallization of nylon 2/3/3 from a solution in a mixture of water and formic acid yields lamellar single crystals exhibiting a triangular habit. Doughnut-shaped morphologies diffracting as single crystals are obtained in the crystallization of nylon 1,3. A helical structure of the type known as polyglycine II is found for both polyamides. In such a structure, chains are intermolecularly linked by hydrogen bonds giving a hexagonal lattice of a = 4.79 Å. Insufficient data are available to determine precisely the conformation of the chains. We assume a threefold helix having c = 35.2 Å and c = 18.0 Å for nylon 2/3/3 and nylon 1,3 respectively. No sign of the layered structure familiar in polyamides has been detected for these polymers throughout the experiments made in the present study.     

Effect of in situ poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) microfibrils on the morphological structure and crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) under an intensive shear rate

The morphological structure and crystallization behavior of in situ poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/isotactic polypropylene (iPP) microparts prepared through micro‐injection molding are investigated using a polarized light microscope, differential scanning calorimeter, scanning electron microscope, and two‐dimensional wide‐angle X‐ray. Results indicate that both the shear effect and addition of PET fibers greatly influence the morphologies of the iPP matrix. Typical “skin‐core” and oriented crystalline structures (shish‐kebab) may simultaneously be observed in neat iPP and iPP/PET microparts. The presence of PET phases reveals significant nucleation ability for iPP crystallization. High concentrations of PET phases, especially long PET fibers, correspond to rapid crystallization of the iPP matrix. The occurrence of PET microfibrils decreases the content and size of β‐crystals; by contrast, the orientation degree of β‐crystals increases with increasing PET content in the microparts. This result suggests that the existence of the microfibrillar network can retain the ordered clusters and promote the development of oriented crystalline structures to some extent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of 5,5′[[[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]imino]]bis[3-(trichloromethyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole] and related thiadiazoles as antimalarial agents

The condensation of 5-chloro-3-(trichloromethyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole (VIII) with N,N-dimelhyl-1,3-propanediamine gave 5-¶ [3-(dimethylammo)propyl]amino¶-3-(trichloromethyl)-1,2,4-thia-diazole(5) and 5,5′-¶[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]imino)¶bis[3-(triehloromethyl)-1,2,4-tliiadiazole] (14), together with 5,5′-[(3-¶ methyl[ 3-(trichloromethyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazol-5-yl ]amino Jpropyl)-imino]bis[3-(trichloromethyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole] ( 17 ) which was formed via an unusual displacement of the distal methyl group of 14. The remarkable antimalarial activity of 14 prompted the synthesis of an array of 5-amino-3-(trichloromethyl, methyl, and 3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazoles and 5,5′-¶[(dialkylamino)alkyl]imino¶bis[3-(trichloromethyl, methyl, and 3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazoles] from an amine and the requisite 5-chloro-3-substituted-1,2,4-thiadiazoles, which were prepared from the appropriate amidine and trichloromethylsull'enyl chloride. 5-¶3-[(Diethylamino)methyl]-p-anisidino ¶-3-(triehloromethyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole ( 13 ) was active against a chloroquine-resistant line of Plasrnodium berghei in the mouse, and compound 14 , the most promising member of the series overall, was designated for expanded antimalarial and toxicological studies. Structure-activity relationships against P. berghei in mice and P. gallinaceum in chicks are discussed.     

Competitive growth of α- and β-crystals in isotactic polypropylene with versatile nucleating agents under shear flow

Sorbitol derivatives, the conventional α-nucleating agents of isotactic polypropylene (iPP), are discovered to induce β-phase iPP under normal crystalline conditions. Combined effects of shear flow and sorbitol derivatives on the crystallization of iPP were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and small-angle X-ray scattering. In the nucleation stage, sorbitol derivatives induce both α- and β-nuclei, while shear flow and the interactions between shear and sorbitol derivatives enhance the amount of α-nuclei. In the growth stage, the epitaxial growth of β-crystals on shear-induced α-row nuclei occurs. As the shear rate increases, more epitaxial β-crystals form due to the increase of α-row nuclei, further increasing the content of β-crystals. Under high shear rate, the presence of sorbitol derivatives and shear flow exhibit a synergistic interaction on increasing the content of β-crystals. Moreover, α-nuclei, which arise from the interaction between shear and sorbitol derivatives, emerge earlier than shear-induced α-row nuclei.

Solvent‐ and interface‐induced surface segregation in blends of isotactic polypropylene with poly(ethylene‐co‐propylene) rubber

The surface compositions and morphologies of melt‐quenched blends of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with aspecific poly(ethylene‐co‐propylene) rubber (aEPR) were characterized by atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphologies and compositions formed in the melt are frozen‐in by crystallization of the iPP component and, depending on the processing conditions, are enriched in iPP or aEPR or contain a phase‐separated mix of iPP and aEPR. Enrichment of iPP is observed for blends melted in open air, in agreement with earlier work showing the high surface activity of atactic polypropylene at open interfaces. Surface segregation of iPP is suppressed at confined interfaces. Blends melt‐pressed between hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates have phase‐separated iPP and aEPR domains present at the surface, which grow in size as the melt time increases. Surface enrichment of aEPR is observed after exposing melt‐pressed blends to n‐hexane vapor, which preferentially solvates aEPR and draws it to the surface. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 421–432, 2004     

Epitaxial crystallization of polymers onto benzoic acid: Polyethylene and paraffins,aliphatic polyesters,and polyamides

Epitaxial crystallization of polyethylene, n-paraffins, aliphatic polyesters, and various polyamides has been achieved on benzoic acid crystal substrates, specifically on their (001) crystals faces, which are made up of the aromatic rings. The epitaxial relationship is very similar for all polymers investigated: it is characterized by a unique chain orientation (parallel to the b axis of the substrate) and a plane of contact which is either the b-c, plane of polyethylene, or crystallographically similar ones for polyesters, or the plane of the hydrogen-bonded sheet for polyamides. Since benzoic acid is structurally similar to its alkali-metal salts, it is inferred that the nucleating efficiency of the latter toward chemically different but structurally similar polymers may well rest on an epitaxial relationship. Finally, the highly oriented morphology made it possible, for some polyesters with a monoclinic cell, to determine the angle between the chain axis and the Z axis of the optical indicatrix, a quantity not measured so far in polymers.     

Crystallization behavior and morphological development of isotactic polypropylene blended with nanostructured polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane molecules

The thermal properties and morphological development of isothermally crystallized isotactic polypropylene (iPP) blended with nanostructured polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules at very small loading of POSS were studied with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The result of DSC indicated that the crystallization rate of iPP increases with the increase in POSS contents during crystallization; moreover, the melting temperature of iPP/POSS nanocomposites slightly decreases, while the heat of fusion increases with the addition of POSS molecules at melting and remelting traces. The storage modulus and thermal stability, respectively, remarkably decrease, while the glass transition temperature of isothermally crystallized iPP/POSS nanocomposites increases slightly with the increase in POSS contents. The morphologies results of WAXD and POM show that the POSS molecules form about 35 nm sized nanocrystals and aggregate to form thread‐like and network structure morphologies, respectively, in the molten state even when the POSS content is very small. These results, therefore, suggest that the interaction force between the POSS molecules should be larger than the force between POSS molecules and iPP matrix; however, those interactions depend on the chain length of functionalized substituents on the POSS cage. Therefore, the POSS molecules aggregate forming nanocrystals and act as an effective nucleating agent for iPP and influence the thermal properties of iPP/POSS nanocomposites due to the shorter chain length of functionalized substituents, methyl, on the POSS cage. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2122–2134, 2006     

Interfacial adhesion mechanisms in incompatible semicrystalline polymer systems

The mechanism of adhesion at semicrystalline polymer interfaces between isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and linear low‐density polyethylene (PE) was studied with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and an asymmetric‐double‐cantilever‐beam test. From the TEM images, both the interfacial width and the lamellar thickness of the polymers were extracted. During annealing, the interfacial width increased with the annealing temperature, and this indicated the accumulation of amorphous polymers at the interface. The interfacial strength, determined from the critical fracture energy (G_c), also increased with the annealing temperature and reached a maximum above the melting temperatures of iPP and PE, whereas the smallest G_c value was obtained below the melting temperatures of the two materials. A mechanism of interfacial strengthening was proposed accounting for the competition between the interdiffusion of PE and crystallization of iPP. As the annealing temperature increased, the rates of PE diffusion and iPP crystallization increased. Although the crystallization of iPP hindered the interdiffusion of PE, both the interfacial width and the fracture energy increased with the temperature, and this indicated that PE interdiffusion dominated iPP crystallization. Below the critical temperature, the fracture surfaces of both iPP and PE were smooth, and chain pullout dominated the fracture mechanism. Above the critical temperature, iPP crystallization still hindered the interdiffusion, and crazes could be seen on the iPP side. Above the melting temperatures of the two materials, ruptured surfaces could also be seen on the PE side, and crazing was the fracture mechanism. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2667–2679, 2004     

Polyamides based on diamines and N,N′-dimethyldiamines derived from biphenol

Aromatic-aliphatic polyamides containing a biphenyl mesogen were prepared by both interfacial and solution polymerization reactions. Substitution of the amide nitrogen with methyl groups yielded polymers with significantly different properties than the unsubstituted polyamides. The methyl-substituted polyamides had improved thermal stability, significantly lower meltin temperatures, and greater solubility in common solvents. Copolyamides were also synthesized which contained different flexible spacer units that varied in the number of methylene groups. No evidence for the presence of liquid crystalline phases could be obtained in either the unsubstituted polyamides or polyamides containing N-methylated amide units. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.