The morphology of poly(vinylidene fluoride) crystallized from blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(ethyl acrylate)

A combined optical and electron microscopical study has been carried out of the crystallization habits of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF₂) when it is crystallized from blends with noncrystallizable poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA). The PVF₂/PEA weight ratios were 0.5/99.5,5/95, and 15/85. Isothermal crystallization upon cooling the blends from the single-phase liquid region was carried out in the range 135–155°C, in which the polymer crystallizes in the α-orthorhombic unit cell form. The 0.5/99.5 blend yielded multilayered and planar lamellar crystals. The lamellae formed at low undercoolings were lozenge shaped and bounded laterally by {110} faces. This habit is prototypical of the dendritic lateral habits exhibited by the crystals grown from the same blend at high undercoolings as well as by the constituent lamellae in the incipient spherulitic aggregates and banded spherulites that formed from the 5/95 and the 15/85 blends, respectively. In contrast with the planar crystals grown from the 0.5/99.5 blend, the formation of the aggregates grown from the 5/95 blend is governed by a conformationally complex motif of dendritic lamellar growth and proliferation. The development of these aggregates is characterized by the twisting of the orientation of lamellae about their preferential b-axis direction of growth, coupled with a fan-like splaying or spreading of lamellae about that axis. The radial growth in the banded spherulites formed from the 15/85 blend is governed by a radially periodic repetition of a similar lamellar twisting/fan-like spreading growth motif whose recurrence corresponds to the extinction band spacing. This motif differs in its fan-like splaying component from banding due to just a helicoidal twisting of lamellae about the radial direction. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Quantitative confirmation of the crystal-amorphous interphase in semicrystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly (vinylidene fluoride)/poly (ethyl methacrylate) blends

Dielectric and thermal characterizations were performed for poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) blends of different composition. The characteristics of PVDF β relaxation were shown to be little affected in the semicrystalline blends with PEMA. The relaxation strength, however, depends strongly on the PEMA content and a linear relation was found between the intensity of the β relaxation and the weight fraction of the PVDF crystal-amorphous interphase. Phase structures of the PVDF/PEMA blends are also proposed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Homogeneous liquid crystal alignment on poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) films subjected to ion-beam irradiation

We demonstrate homogeneous and uniform liquid crystal (LC) alignment on poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [PVDF-TrFE] films using ion-beam (IB) irradiation and a performance improvement of twisted nematic (TN) cells using IB-irradiated PVDF-TrFE films. Spontaneous ferroelectricity of the PVDF-TrFE films was modified by IB irradiation, which affected the LC alignment properties. The variation in the pre-tilt angles of the LC molecules on the IB-irradiated PVDF films is attributed to surface reformation, including defluorination and oxidation because the pre-tilt angles of LC molecules can be controlled by adjusting the fluorine content. The results of contact angle measurements supported this phenomenon. A 58% reduction in the switching voltage was observed for TN cells, indicating that the IB-irradiated PVDF-TrFE films are a promising candidate for use as an alignment layer.     

Miscibility in blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(vinylidene chloride-co-acrylonitrile)

Miscibility behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [PHB]/poly(vinylidene chloride-co-acrylonitrile) [P(VDC-AN)] blends have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. Each blend showed a single T_g, and a large melting point depression of PHB. All the blends containing more than 40% PHB showed linear spherulitic growth behavior and the growth rate decreased with P(VDC-AN) content. The interaction parameter χ₁₂, obtained from melting point depression analysis, gave the value of −0.267 for the PHB/P(VDC-AN) blends. All results presented in this article lead to the conclusion that PHB/P(VDC-AN) blends are completely miscible in all proportions from a thermodynamic viewpoint. The miscibility in these blends is ascribed to the specific molecular interaction involving the carbonyl groups of PHB. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 2645–2652, 1997     

On-line small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering studies on melt-spinning poly(vinylidene fluoride) tape using synchrotron radiation

On-line small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering experiments were performed during the melt spinning of polyvinylidene fluoride using the DESY synchrotron light source. In these studies, the melt-spinning apparatus consisting of a screw extruder, a metering pump, and a take-up motor system were assembled on two separate stepper-motor-driven platforms. To investigate the structure development during crystallization, the tape location at the desired distance from the die could be positioned at the beam level with synchronous vertical movement of extruder and take-up platforms. Small-angle and wide-angle x-ray patterns were taken simultaneously with a two-dimensional wire detector and one-dimensional wire detector. In a separate study, two-dimensional WAXS data were also taken under identical processing conditions to observe the off-equator diffraction behavior during the crystallization. The data obtained for a variety of take-up speeds generally indicate that SAXS d-spacings first appear large in the early stages of crystallization and gradually decrease along the spin-line (as the crystallization progresses). As the take-up speed increases, the crystallization onset position moves away from the die and d-spacings observed at the onset increase. In addition, the shape of the discrete scattering pattern starts as a meridional streak and converts to a teardrop shape with the tip of the pattern pointing toward the beam stop at the early stages of crystallization for high take-up speeds. This does not occur at low take-up speeds and is attributed to the differences in crystallization behavior which is spherulitic or sheaflike to row nucleated crystallites. Our studies also showed that SAXS patterns appear earlier than the wide-angle crystalline diffraction peaks indicating the SAXS technique to be more sensitive to the structural changes at these stages. An idealized model is developed to explain the observed patterns at high take-up speeds. This consists of two regimes. In regime 1, the periodic fluctuations due to the alternating crystalline and amorphous regions form along the regions where eventually the “shish” structures develop. In the second stage, a volume filling crystallization takes place between the existing crystallites along the shish structure and simultaneously radial overgrowth of crystallites (i.e., the “kebabs”) takes place. This causes the observed reduction in the average d-spacing. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermoreversible gelation on cooling and on heating of an aqueous gelatin–poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) conjugate

A polymer conjugate composed of 43 wt% gelatin and 57 wt% poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was prepared. The dynamic viscoelastic properties of an aqueous solution of the conjugate at the concentration of 5 wt% were examined. The solution was viscous fluid at 30°C and turned into an elastic homogeneous hydrogel upon heating above 34°C or upon cooling below 10°C. The resultant hydrogels turned back into a solution at the opposite temperature cycles of the gelation. It is considered that the driving force of the gelation is the intermolecular hydrophobic interaction of PNIPAAm blocks or the intermolecular helix association of gelatin blocks, respectively, on heating or on cooling. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Viscometric behaviour of polymer blends based on poly (vinylidene fluoride)

The viscosity behaviour of dilute dimethylformamide solutions of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-poly (methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)-polystyrene has been studied at 25°C. The polymer concentration ranges are such that neither phase separation nor microgel formation occurs, although we are very close to theta conditions. The intrinsic viscosity and viscosity interaction parameter of the ternary mixtures have been calculated. The estimation of the compatibility of the above polymer pairs has been studied based on: a) specific viscosities; b) viscosity interaction parameters, according to Krigbaum and Wall formalism, and c) viscosity interaction parameters of a system formed by a dilute probe polymer in the presence of a matrix polymer and a small molecule solvent.     

Thermal and mechanical behavior of amorphous and semi-crystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Various PVDF/PMMA (poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate)) blends were selected for mechanical testing in compression. At low PVDF content (less than 50/50 w/w), the blends remain amorphous and PVDF and PMMA are fully miscible. In PVDF-richer blends, PVDF crystallizes in part, leading to a PMMA-enriched homogeneous amorphous phase. In this study, the degree of crystallinity was set at equilibrium by appropriate annealing of the samples before testing. Mechanical analysis was focused on the low deformation range, and especially on the yield region. Depending on the test temperature and blend composition, three types of response were identified, depending on whether plastic deformation is influenced: 1) by the PMMA secondary relaxation motions, 2) by the PVDF/PMMA glass transition motions, or 3) by the crystallite-constrained PVDF chains.     

Thermoreversible gelation of poly(ethylene oxide) biodegradable polyester block copolymers. II

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(L-lactic acid) (PEO-PLLA) diblock copolymers were synthesized via a ring opening polymerization from poly(ethylene oxide) and l -lactide. Stannous octoate was used as a catalyst in a solution polymerization with toluene as the solvent. Their physicochemical properties were investigated by using infrared spectroscopy, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry, as well as the observational data of gel-sol transitions in aqueous solutions. Aqueous solutions of PEO-PLLA diblock copolymers changed from a gel phase to a sol phase with increasing temperature when their polymer concentrations are above a critical gel concentration. As the PLLA block length increased, the gel-sol transition temperature increased. For comparison, diblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(l -lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) [PEO-P(LLA/GA)] and poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(dl -lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) [PEO-P(DLLA/GA)] were synthesized by the same methods, and their gel-sol transition behaviors were also investigated. The gel-sol transition properties of these diblock copolymers are influenced by the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the copolymer, block length, hydrophobicity, and stereoregularity of the hydrophobic block of the copolymer. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2207–2218, 1999     

聚偏氟乙烯微孔膜的亲水化改性及功能化研究进展

聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)微孔膜的亲水化改性方法有物理共混、化学共聚、表面涂覆、表面化学处理、表面接枝等几种。其中物理共混和表面涂覆法比较成熟且已获得应用，而PVDF微孔膜的表面化学处理、等离子体或光引发改性技术以及环境敏感性等将成为PVDF微孔膜的改性和功能化研究的主要方向。     

Surface hydroxylation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film

The surface of PVDF film was selectively modified by wet chemistry. Treatment with aqueous LiOH produced HF-elimination and the emergence of an oxygen-containing functionality. The XPS analysis clearly indicated the presence of ketone-, ether(epoxide)-, and alcohol motifs. The percentage of alcohols could be significantly increased by reduction of the ketones with NaBH₄ in 2-propanol, followed by reduction of the epoxides with DIBAL-H in hexane. Thus, the full treatment led to a PVDF surface displaying 7 to 16% of oxygen-containing units, of which about 60% consisted in alcohol motifs. The reactvity of the surface-displayed hydroxyl functions was assayed by radiolabeling with [³H]-Ac₂O. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1227–1235, 1997     

聚醚砜和溶剂对聚偏氟乙烯膜结晶性能的影响

研究了非相容性聚合物及不同溶剂对聚偏氟乙烯相转化膜结晶性能的影响。采用红外光谱和DSC方法测定了膜的晶型及结晶度。结果显示,与非相容性材料以适当的比例共混和采用溶度参数较低的溶剂可以降低膜β晶型的含量。     

Pressure dependence of the β molecular relaxation process and dielectric properties of polyvinylidene fluoride

The effects of hydrostatic pressure to 20 kbar on the β molecular relaxation process of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and on the dielectric properties in the neighborhood of this relaxation have been investigated. This relaxation has a strong influence on the electrical and mechanical properties of PVDF. Pressure causes a large shift to higher temperatures (～ 10K/kbar) of the dielectric relaxation peak and a decrease in the width of the distribution of relaxation times. This slowing down of the relaxation process is discussed in terms of the Vogel–Fulcher equation and related models, and it results from an increase in both the energy barrier to dipolar motion and the reference temperature (T₀) for the kinetic relaxation process which represents the “static” dipolar freezing temperature for the process. The general applicability of the Vogel–Fulcher equation to relaxional processes in polymers and other systems is briefly discussed. The pressure dependence of the dielectric constant both above and below the relaxation peak temperature (T_max) is found to be dominated by the change in polarizability. The effect is larger above T_max because of the relatively large decrease in the dipolar orientational polarizability with pressure.     

Impact of Nanosilicates on Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Crystal Polymorphism: Part 2. Melt-crystallization at Low Supercooling

Nanocomposites of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) filled with Lucentite STN^TM organically modified silicate (OMS) were investigated upon melt-crystallization at temperatures near its melting point (i.e., at low supercooling temperatures). Previously, we showed that the addition of extremely small amounts of OMS into PVDF causes the polar beta phase formation in cold-crystallized samples, and causes polar gamma phase formation in melt-crystallized samples under high supercooling. The current study focused on the impact of OMS on polymorphic behavior of PVDF crystallized from the molten state, or annealed, at low supercooling temperatures. Nanocomposites with 0–4.0 wt% concentration were prepared from solutions. The existence of α or γ phase was verified by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-Ray scattering or Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Morphology of α- and γ-spherulites was observed by polarizing optical microscopy (POM). In annealed PVDF/OMS nanocomposites, gamma crystals were observed to dominate at all clay compositions except 0.01 wt%. DSC and POM data show that two types of gamma crystals, γ and γ’, exist when PVDF/OMS nanocomposites were annealed.     

Effects of an electrostatic field on crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Melt crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) under a static electric field was studied by optical microscopy. For most crystallization temperatures a mixture of α and γ spherulites was obtained. The growth rate of the spherulites was measured in the plane perpendicular to the direction of the field. The effect of an electric field on the growth rate of the γ spherulites corresponds in a qualitative way with the dependence predicted theoretically for the primary nucleation of the nonpolar form. It is shown, that the growth rate of γ spherulites is always reduced by the electric field. This reduction was larger the lower the undercooling. In the case of γ spherulites the interpretation of the results is more complicated. Both the morphology and the growth rate of γ spherulites under an electric field depend on electrode configuration. An increase of the growth rate of γ spherulites in an electric field was detected only when the sample was in direct contact with both electrodes. Under these circumstances, γ spherulites nucleate and grow at the PVF2-positive electrode interface; and the increase of the growth rate is higher the lower the undercooling, and is greater in comparison with the decrease found for the nonpolar α phase. The reason for the sensitivity of the morphology of the γ form to the electrode configuration is not completely clear. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

聚偏氟乙烯取向薄膜的结晶形态

本文用小角激光散射法研究了聚偏氟乙烯薄膜在拉伸取向过程中晶体形态及结构的变化。拉伸使球晶形变为椭球,同时伴随着局部熔融与重结晶过程,散射图案由原来的四叶瓣发展为八叶瓣。红外测量及X-射线衍射分析表明,拉伸引起分子链构象改变,使晶型发生了转变。     

Crystallization and thermoreversible gelation of poly(butylene terephthalate)–epoxy mixtures

The thermoreversible gelation of solutions of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and a liquid diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy has been investigated. The morphology of the gels and the conditions under which they form have been characterized by optical microscopy, thermal analysis, and x-ray scattering. Gels were found to form under two different conditions and with different morphologies. Gels formed after a considerable delay when homogenous PBT-epoxy solutions were cooled to slightly below the dissolution temperature of crystalline PBT. These gels contained large, irregular PBT spherulites and smaller birefringent interspherulitic matter. The melting of these gels and the onset of macroscopic flow coincided with the melting of the interspherulitic matter, and occurred before the melting of the large spherulites. Thermoreversible gels formed very quickly when PBT-epoxy solutions were self-nucleated by heating a dispersion of crystalline PBT in epoxy slightly and briefly above the dissolution temperature and then cooling. These gels displayed only a weak background birefringence and were molten when the weak birefringence disappeared. In both cases, gelation occurred by the formation of a three-dimensional PBT network in the epoxy liquid, and the nodes of the network were crystalline PBT particles. $ 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modification of porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane using amphiphilic polymers with different structures in phase inversion process

Three kinds of amphiphilic polymers, including the tri-block copolymer of (polyethylene oxide)–(polypropylene oxide)–(polyethylene oxide) (I, EPTBP), the comb-like copolymer of polysiloxane with polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide side chains (II, ACPS) and the hyperbranched star copolymer of polyester-g-methoxyl polyethylene glycol (III, HPE-g-MPEG), were blended with PVDF to fabricate porous membranes via a phase inversion process, respectively, and the effects of the different structures of the amphiphilic polymers on the properties of the blend membranes were compared. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, mercury porosimetry, water contact angle measurements, etc. The anti-fouling properties of the prepared membranes were evaluated by static and dynamic bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorptions. Specially, the stabilities of these amphiphilic polymers in the final membranes were estimated by continuous leaching tests. At the same time, the properties of the membranes using the amphiphilic polymers as modifiers were compared with those of the membrane using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as modifier.