Properties of solution-grown crystals of fractions of isotactic polypropylene with different degrees of stereoregularity

Solution-grown crystals of fractions of isotactic polypropylene (IPP) with different degrees of stereoregularity have been obtained by isothermal crystallization from α-chloronaphthalene, using a self-seeding technique. Electron micrographs of samples, crystallized under the same undercooling, show that, with decreasing fraction of isotactic pentads, the perfect rectangular shape of the single crystal is lost and the presence of more complex morphologies is increasingly observed. The equilibrium dissolution temperature T_d of IPP fractions, from polymers prepared with a titanium based catalyst, decreases linearly with decreasing percentage of isotactic pentads. An extrapolated value of 171°C is obtained for the equilibrium dissolution temperature of a crystal of IPP with 100% isotactic pentads, i.e., an IPP crystal free of configurational defects. The melting temperature T′_m and the apparent enthalpy of fusion ΔH of crystallized and annealed crystal aggregates have been determined by differential calorimetry. The equilibrium melting temperature T_m also depends greatly upon the isotactic pentad concentration. For 100% concentration the extrapolated value of T_m is 181°C. T_m decreases about 1°C per 1% decrease in the isotactic pentad population. The observed equilibrium melting and dissolution temperature depression does not follow the predictions of the Flory equation for copolymer crystallization. In fact, the effect of decreasing probability of isotactic sequence propagation is to depress T_d and T_m much more rapidly. The apparent enthalpy of fusion of both solution-grown crystals and melt-recrystallized samples decreases with an increase in the number of configurational impurities along the chain. For the most stereoregular fraction the average length of isotactic stereoblocks has been compared with the lamellar thickness of solution-grown lath-shaped single crystals.     

Vibrational spectroscopic investigation of stereoregularity effects on syndiotactic polypropylene structure and morphology

Vibrational spectroscopy is used to sensitively detect specific morphologies and microstructures present in metallocene-catalyzed syndiotactic polypropylenes (sPP). Six materials, ranging in racemic triad content from 26 to 96% rr, are studied. Changes in high-resolution infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of melt-slow-cooled films are observed as the degree of syndiotacticity varies. Three different types of peak behavior are observed: splitting, wavenumber shift, and change in peak intensity. An overall trend toward greater molecular order (e.g. ordered chain conformations, increased crystallinity) is observed as syndiotacticity increases. By combining results with supporting evidence from X-ray diffraction and IR linear dichroism experiments of highly syndiotactic sPP, new peak assignments are proposed for tacticity-sensitive vibrational bands. Some very interesting spectral behavior is observed for material of intermediate stereoregularity (49% rr). Previously unobserved peaks appear in X-ray diffractograms and IR absorbance spectra, suggesting the presence of an as-yet unidentified “transitional” structure—perhaps a disordered modification of crystalline Form I. This moderate level of syndiotacticty appears to be a critical point or threshold below which sPP chains are unable to adopt characteristic helical or planar zigzag conformations. Results from this work provide a more thorough understanding of stereochemical effects on vibrational spectra, which will be very useful in the interpretation of ongoing IR linear dichroism studies of newly available semi-syndiotactic (semi-sPP) materials.     

Effect of components of a sulfur-containing vulcanizing system on the structure and properties of isotactic polypropylene

With the use of methods of X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, the structure and melting and crystallization of isotactic polypropylene are studied in the presence of components of a sulfur-containing vulcanizing system composed of sulfur, zinc oxide, stearic acid, Altax, and thiuram, which is used for synthesis of thermoplastic vulcanizates. It is found that the addition of zinc oxide results in the formation of the β phase of polypropylene, and the content of this product depends on the concentration of a nucleating agent. The heat pretreatment of samples has a strong effect on the formation of β -polypropylene. The addition of residual compounds to polypropylene at the studied concentrations has practically no effect on its structure. With an increase in the content of the β phase, the elastic modulus and elongation at neck formation of polypropylene increase, whereas its tensile strength, elongation at yield, and elongation at break decrease.     

Oxygen uptake by isotactic polypropylene of different morphological structure

Oxygen uptake by isotactic polypropylene was studied at temperatures below melting point, on samples of various degrees of crystallinity and spherulite size. Diffusion coefficients and activation energy of diffusion were calculated. It is suggested that the dependence of the rate of oxygen uptake on the morphological structure of polymer samples can result from different values of the interspherulitic amorphous phase fraction, which is more easily accessible to oxygen than the interlamellar fraction.     

Rules of supermolecular structure formation in sheared isotactic polypropylene melts

Shear-induced crystallization of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) homo-, block, and random copolymers was studied and compared to that in quiescent melt. It was evidenced by means of the thermo-optical technique that melt-shearing, caused by fiber pulling, is associated with the development of α-row-nuclei. The surface of the in situ formed α-row-nuclei may induce the growth of the β-modification of iPP resulting in a cylindrite of polymorphous composition. The polymorphous composition is controlled by the temperature-dependent relative growth rate of the α- and β-iPP for which a model explanation was given. The β-nucleation ability of the α-row-nuclei is lost by melt-shearing at high temperature or remelting. This was attributed to a coverage of the β-nuclei by the α-phase. The structural memory of the supermolecular structures was studied in repeated melting and crystallization cycles and discussed. It was found that the quality of the fiber did not influence the mechanisms concluded. The shear-induced crystallization of propylene block copolymers was highly analogous to the homopolymers. In case of the random copolymers, however, crystallization in sheared melt resulted in an α-cylindritic structure, because for propylene random copolymers the growth rate of the α-modification is always higher than that of the β. It was also demonstrated that the mechanism of shear-induced crystallization was unaffected when the crystallizing PP melt contained selective β-nucleants. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Low and high-yield isotactic polypropylene

The crystallization and melting behaviour of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) samples synthetized with different catalyst systems (low and high-yield) have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The isothermal crystallization rates from the melt have been found to depend on the catalyst system employed and on the isotacticity index of the sample. Moreover, for low-yield iPP, Avrami analysis of the overall kinetics has provided evidence of the presence of secondary crystallization phenomena. The values of the equilibrium melting point, energy of nucleation and surface energy of folding of iPP lamellar crystals have been calculated according to the ‘Kinetic theories’ of polymer crystallization. The observed variation of such thermodynamic parameters for the various iPP samples has been accounted for by the amount and type of configurational irregularities present along the chains and by the differences in the molecular weight distribution.     

Rheological characteristics of blends of isotactic polypropylene with high density polyethylene

Binary blends of iPP/HDPE have been prepared in order to evaluate the effect of the ratio of the viscosities of the parent polymers on the rheological behaviour of the blends. The viscosity of a blend is intermediate when the viscosities of the homopolymers are very different; a slight minimum occurs when the viscosity ratio is near to one. Some tests have also been performed on an iPP/LDPE blend generally confirming these results without peculiarities due to the branching. The die-swell values of the blends are intermediate, also when the values for the parent polymers are similar. For the critical shear rate, a maximum occurs when the critical shear rate of the polyethylene is larger than that of the polypropylene.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation on isotactic,atactic and deuterated isotactic polypropylene

Ohne ZusammenfassungProf. Dr.Alfons Krause, Pozna (Polen), Grunwaldzka 6.     

A bimodal structure of solution-grown isotactic polypropylene with orthogonally crossed lamellae

Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was crystallized from solution on a uniaxially-oriented iPP film. Small-angle x-ray scattering patterns obtained from the sample showed two perpendicularly crossed lameliae 9.3 nm thick that overgrew flat-on and edge-on on the substrate. In the through wide-angel x-ray diffraction pattern (taken with incident x-rays normal to the iPP film surface), strong hkO reflections were arranged in an hkO net pattern indicating that the a-axis of the monoclinic α unit cell was oriented parallel to the chain direction of the substrate. From this, it was concluded that the flat-on lamellae grew with the a-axis parallel to the chain axis of the substrate and with the b-axis parallel to its surface. In the edge wide-angle x-ray diffraction pattern (X-rays incident on the edge of the film), arced, strong 110 and 220 reflections from overgrown crystals were observed on the equator of the fiber pattern of the substrate. This indicated that the edge-on lamellae epitaxially grew with the c-axis aligned parallel to the chain axis of the substrate. The homoepitaxy explains the correlated growth mode between the orthogonally crossed lamellae: they grew epitaxially, the a-axis of one lamella coinciding with the c-axis of the other and the {010} planes in contact. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of compressed CO2 on crystallization and melting behavior of isotactic polypropylene

Compressed gases such as CO₂ above their critical temperatures provide a highly tunable technique that has been shown to induce changes in phase behavior, crystallization kinetics and morphology of the polymers. Gas induced plasticization of the polymer matrix has been studied in a large number of polymers such as polystyrene, and poly(ethylene terephathalate). The knowledge of polymer–gas interactions is fundamental to the study of phenomena such as solubility and diffusivity of gases in polymers, dilation of polymers and in the development of applications such as foams and barrier materials.In this paper, we describe the interactions of compressed CO₂ with isotactic polypropylene (PP). Crystallization of various PPs in presence of compressed CO₂ was evaluated using a high pressure differential scanning calorimeter (HPDSC). CO₂ plasticized the polymer matrix and decreased the crystallization temperature, T_c by ∼8 °C for PP at a pressure of 650 psi CO₂. The decrease as a function of pressure was −0.173 °C/bar and did not change with the molecular architecture of PP. Both crystallization kinetics and melting behavior are evaluated.Since solubility and diffusivity are important thermodynamic parameters that establish the intrinsic gas transport characteristics in a polymer, solubility of CO₂ in PP was measured using a high-pressure electrobalance and compared with cross-linked polyethylene. At 50 °C, solubility followed Henry’s law and at a pressure of 200 psi about 1% CO₂ dissolved in PP. Similar solubility was achieved in PE at a pressure of 160 psi. Higher solubility of CO₂ in PE is attributed to its lower crystallinity and lower T_g, than PP. Diffusion coefficients were calculated from the sorption kinetics using a Fickian transport model. Diffusivity was independent of pressure and PE showed higher diffusivity than PP. Preliminary foaming studies carried out using a batch process indicate that both PP and PE can be foamed from the solid state to form microcellular foams. Cell size and cell density were ∼10 μm and 10⁸ cells/cm³, respectively in PE. Differences in morphology between the foams for these polymers are attributed to the differences in diffusivity.     

Unidirectional solidification of isotactic polypropylene

Thin films of isotactic polypropylene have been solidified unidirectionally by pulling specimens through a fixed temperature gradient of 5.5°/mm at rates ranging from 0.07 to 7 mm/hr. At pulling rates lower than 1.7 mm/hr, polypropylene spherulites grew preferentially in the direction of solidification with a tendency to the generation of more asymmetric spherulites at lower rates of solidification.     

Crystallization of oxidized isotactic polypropylene

The effect of processes accompanying thermal oxidation of the polymer on the characteristics of its isothermal crystallization has been revealed. It has been shown that crystallization decelerates with a rise in the degree of PP oxidation. The higher the concentration of functional groups, the stronger the deceleration. The energy of nucleation increases when passing from virgin to oxidized PP samples. The higher the concentration of carbonyl groups accumulated in polymer chains, the more pronounced this effect, although the degradation of the chains must lead to a reduction in this parameter. It has been concluded that the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the isothermal crystallization are applicable to investigation of processes accompanying thermal oxidation of the crystallizable polymer.     

Influence of preparative conditions on molecular weight and stereoregularity distributions of polypropylene

The influence of preparative conditions on the molecular weight and stereoregularity distributions of polypropylene was investigated. The stereoregularity distribution is narrowed by using a highly stereospecific catalyst, by decreasing the polymerization temperature, and for the three-component catalyst by keeping the mole proportion of the electron-donating third component at 0.5. The molecular weight distribution can be narrowed by using a highly stereospecific catalyst, a high monomer concentration, and a high polymerization temperature, and by having a lower conversion, particularly at low monomer concentration. The possibility of long-chain branching in polypropylene was indicated by data from the fractionation of tritium-labeled polymers.     

Recent results on the polymorphic behavior of isotactic polypropylene

The more recent results concerning the polymorphic behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) are presented. Specifically contributions on the recently determined γ phase crystal structure, in which non-parallel chains coexist, and the novel results concerning the β phase are summarized. The new data appear to suggest that the normally occurring α-phase is in general neither the kinetically favored nor the thermodynamically more stable phase but rather it represents the best compromise between these two criteria. The implications and the open questions arising from the new findings with respect to morphology and polymer crystal growth are considered.     

IR spectroscopic study of the structure of isotactic polypropylene deformed by the crazing mechanism

The deformation of isotropic isotactic polypropylene with a spherulitic initial structure has been studied. Fourier transform IR spectra of polypropylene deformed to various stretch ratios in air and in a physically active medium have been recorded. From the spectroscopy data, the dichroic ratios and orientation functions have been calculated for the amorphous and crystalline polypropylene phases. It turned out that the orientations of macromolecules in the amorphous and crystalline polypropylene phases change identically while stretching in a physically active (water–ethanol) medium. However, the deformation in air leads to a more pronounced orientation of macromolecules in the crystalline phase as compared with the orientation in the amorphous phase. The maximum values of the orientation function in the deformation in air coincide with the stretch ratio at the yield point. This is how a physically active medium acts in crazing in comparison with shear deformation in air.     

Crystal structure of the trigonal form of isotactic polypropylene as an example of density-driven polymer structure

Propene-hexene copolymers crystallize in a new polymorphic form of isotactic polypropylene when the concentration of hexene is higher than nearly 10-15 mol %. The hexene units are included in the crystals, inducing an increase of density that allows crystallization of 3-fold helical chains in a trigonal unit cell according to the space group R3c or Rc, where the helical symmetry of the chains is maintained in the crystal lattice. The structure of this new form is similar to those of isotactic polybutene and polystyrene and does not crystallize in polypropylene homopolymer because it would have too low density. The crystal structure of isotactic polypropylene is therefore no longer an exception to the principles of polymer crystallography, but the new structure represents the fulfillment of these principles and indicates that the packing of polymer molecules is mainly driven by density.     

Vibration-induced change of crystal structure in isotactic polypropylene and its improved mechanical properties

In order to understand the formation of different crystal structures and improve the mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene (iPP), melt vibration technology, which generally includes shear vibration and hydrostatic pressure vibration, was used to induce the change of crystal structure of iPP. iPP forms α crystal structure in traditional injection molding. Through melt vibration, crystal orientated and its size became smaller, and a change of crystal structure of iPP from α form to β form and γ form was achieved. Therefore, the mechanical properties of iPP were improved. At high melting temperature (230 °C), only β form can be induced. At low melting temperature (190 °C), either β form or γ form can be induced, depending on the combination of frequency and vibration pressure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2385–2390, 2004     

Melting temperature and enthalpy of isotactic polypropylene

The fusion process, melting temperature and heat of fusion of carefully crystallized fractions of isotactic polypropylene (molecular weights from 5·4 × 10⁴ to 2·2 × 10⁵) have been investigated. The equilibrium melting temperature, obtained by the extrapolation method in experiments involving very low degrees of crystallinity, corresponds to 208°. The fusion enthalpy was found to be 1·386 cal/mole. This low value and the high depression of Tm^o suggest a relatively high interfacial energy; a value of 285 erg/cm² is estimated for σ_ec.