Oxygen‐barrier properties of polyethylene terephthalate modified with a small amount of aromatic comonomer

The oxygen‐barrier properties of amorphous copolyesters based on ethylene terephthalate with 10%, or less, of an acid comonomer were examined. Comonomer units were isophthalate, phthalate, 1,5‐naphthalate, 1,8‐naphthalate, 2,6‐naphthalate, 1,8‐anthracenate, 2,6‐anthracenate, and 2,7‐pyrenate. Even 2.5 mol % comonomer significantly affected the permeability. Linear comonomers decreased the permeability. In contrast, small amounts of a kinked comonomer increased the permeability. However, increasing the amount of kinked comonomer further (gradually) decreased permeability P below that of polyethylene terephthalate. Generally, comonomer affected solubility S less than diffusivity D; therefore, changes in P reflected primarily changes in D. The solubility and diffusivity depended on copolymer composition in accordance with static and dynamic free‐volume concepts of gas permeability in glassy polymers. The solubility correlated with the amount of free volume, as determined by the glass‐transition temperature. This study also explored the relationship of dynamic free volume, which determines D, to thermally accessible segmental motions of the polymer chain. The effect of comonomer on D correlated with the intensity of the gauche component of the subambient γ relaxation. Changes in the fraction of gauche‐glycol conformations resulting from copolymerization were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1900–1910, 2001     

Oxygen‐barrier properties of copolymers based on ethylene terephthalate

The oxygen‐barrier properties of amorphous polyethylene terephthalate‐based copolymers with various acid comonomers were examined. The incorporation of increasing amounts of isophthalate, phthalate, or naphthalate gradually reduced the permeability P toward the low values obtained for the corresponding homopolymers. The permeability of poly(ethylene 3,4′‐bibenzoate) homopolymer was only slightly lower than that of polyethylene terephthalate, and the copolymers correspondingly exhibited a very gradual decrease in P as the amount of 3,4′‐bibenzoate (3,4′BB) increased. In contrast, copolymerization with the linear isomer, 4,4′BB, produced a substantial increase in P. Generally, comonomer affected the solubility S less than the diffusivity D, and therefore changes in P reflected primarily changes in D for the polymers studied. The diffusivity and solubility depended on the copolymer composition in accordance with static and dynamic free‐volume concepts of gas permeability in glassy polymers. The solubility S correlated with the amount of free volume as determined by the glass‐transition temperature. Correlation of the diffusivity D with the magnitude of the subambient γ relaxation identified dynamic free volume with thermally activated conformational changes and segmental motions. Correspondence in the activation energy confirmed the relationship. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1889–1899, 2001     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units. III. Methanolytic degradation

The methanolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units was investigated. Random copolyesters containing 10 and 30 mol % of such units were prepared via a two‐step melt copolycondensation of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) 5‐nitroisophthalate (BHENI) in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. First, the susceptibility of these two comonomers toward methanolysis was evaluated, and their reaction rates were estimated with high‐performance liquid chromatography. BHENI appeared to be much more reactive than both BHET and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) isophthalate. The methanolysis of PET and the copolyesters was carried out at 100 °C, and the degradation process was followed by changes in the weight and viscosity, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The copolyesters degraded faster than PET, and the rate of degradation increased with the content of nitrated units. The products resulting from methanolysis were concluded to be dimethyl terephthalate, dimethyl 5‐nitroisophthalate, ethylene glycol, and small, soluble oligomers. For both PET and the copolyesters, an increase in crystallinity was observed during the degradation process, indicating that methanolysis preferentially occurred in the amorphous phase. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 76–87, 2002     

Crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate–co–isophthalate)

Melt crystallization behaviors of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate) (PETI) containing 2 and 12 mol % of noncrystallizable isophthalate components were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) isothermal results revealed that the introduction of 2 mol % isophthalate into PET caused a change of the crystal growth process from a two‐dimensional to a three‐dimensional spherulitic growth. The addition of more isophthalate up to 12 mol % into the PET structure induced a change in the crystal growth from a three‐dimensional to a two‐dimensional crystal growth. DSC heating scans after completion of isothermal crystallization at various T_c's showed three melting endotherms for PET and four melting endotherms for PETI‐2 and PETI‐12. The presence of an additional melting endotherm is attributed to the melting of copolyester crystallite composed of ethylene glycol, tere‐phthalate, and isophthalate (IPA) or the melting of molecular chains near IPA formed by melting the secondary crystallite T_m (I) and then recrystallizing during heating. Analyses of both Avrami and Lauritzen‐Hoffman equations revealed that PETI containing 2 mol % of isophthalate had the highest Avrami exponent n, growth rate constant G_o, and product of lateral and end surface free energies σσ_e. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2515–2524, 2000     

Morphology of poly(butylene terephthalate)–poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate‐co‐sebacate) segmented copolyesters

Segmented copolyesters, namely, poly(butylene terephthalate)–poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate‐co‐sebacate) (PBT‐PETIS), were synthesized with the melting transesterification processing in vacuo condition involving bulk polyester produced on a large scale (PBT) and ternary amorphous random copolyester (PETIS). Investigations on the morphology of segmented copolyesters were undertaken. The two‐phase morphology model was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. One of the phases was composed of crystallizable PBT, and the other was a homogeneous mixture of PETIS and noncrystallizable PBT. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2257–2263, 2003     

Oxygen‐barrier properties of cold‐drawn polyesters

The improvement of oxygen‐barrier properties of glassy polyesters by orientation was examined. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene naphthalate), and a copolymer based on PET in which 55 mol % of the terephthalate was replaced with bibenzoate (PET‐BB55) were oriented by constrained uniaxial stretching. In a fairly narrow window of stretching conditions near the glass‐transition temperature, it was possible to achieve uniform extension of the polyesters without crystallization or stress whitening. The processes of orientation and densification correlated with the conformational transformation of glycol linkages from gauche to trans. Oxygen permeability, diffusivity, and solubility decreased with the amount of orientation. A linear relationship between the oxygen solubility and polymer specific volume suggested that the cold‐drawn polyester could be regarded as a one‐phase densified glass. This allowed an analysis of oxygen solubility in accordance with free‐volume concepts of gas permeability in glassy polymers. Orientation was seen as the process of decreasing the amount of excess‐hole free volume and bringing the nonequilibrium polymer glass closer to the equilibrium (zero‐solubility) condition. Cold drawing most effectively reduced the free volume of PET‐BB55. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 862–877, 2002     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) terpolyesters containing isophthalic and 5‐tert‐butylisophthalic units

Poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate‐co‐5‐tert‐butylisophthalate) (PETI^tBI) terpolymers were investigated with reference to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) homopolymer and poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate) (PETI) copolymers. Three series of PETI^tBI terpolyesters, characterized by terephthalate contents of 90, 80, and 60 mol %, respectively, with different isophthalate/5‐tert‐butylisophthalate molar ratios, were prepared from ethylene glycol and mixtures of dimethyl terephthalate, dimethyl isophthalate, and 5‐tert‐butylisophthalic acid. The composition of the terpolymers and the composition of the feed agreed. All terpolymers had a random microstructure and number‐average molecular weights ranging from 10,000 to 20,000. The PETI^tBI terpolyesters displayed a higher glass‐transition temperature and a lower melting temperature than the PETI copolymers having the same content of terephthalic units. Thermal stability appeared essentially unchanged upon the incorporation of the 5‐tert‐butylisophthalic units. The PETI^tBIs were crystalline for terephthalate contents higher than 80 mol %, and they crystallized at lower rates than PETI. The crystal structure of the crystalline terpolymers was the same as that of PET with the 1,3‐phenylene units being excluded from the crystalline phase. Incorporation of isophthalate comonomers barely affected the tensile modulus and strength of PET, but the brittleness of the terpolymers decreased for higher contents in 5‐tert‐butylisophthalic units. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 124–134, 2003     

Poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐5‐tert‐butyl isophthalate) copolyesters: Synthesis,characterization, and properties

A series of poly(butylene terephthalate) copolyesters containing 5‐tert‐butyl isophthalate units up to 50 mol %, as well as the homopolyester entirely made of these units, were prepared by polycondensation from a melt. The microstructure of the copolymers was determined by NMR to be random for the whole range of compositions. The effect exerted by the 5‐tert‐butyl isophthalate units on thermal, tensile, and gas transport properties was evaluated. Both the melting temperature (T_m) and crystallinity were found to decrease steadily with copolymerization, whereas the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) increased and the polyesters became more brittle. Permeability and solubility slightly increased with the content in substituted isophthalic units, whereas the diffusion coefficient remained practically constant. For the homopolyester poly(5‐tert‐butyl isophthalate), all these properties were found to deviate significantly from the general trend displayed by copolyesters, suggesting that a different structure in the solid state is likely adopted in this case. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 92–100, 2005     

Crystallization behavior and morphology of poly(ethylene‐co‐trimethylene terephthalate)s

The melt crystallization behaviors and crystalline structures of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), and poly(ethylene‐co‐trimethylene terephthalate) (PETT) were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and X‐ray diffraction at various crystallization temperatures (T_cs). The PETT copolymers were synthesized via the polycondensation of terephthalate with ethylene glycol and trimethylene glycol (TG) in various compositions. The copolymers with 69.0 mol % or more TG or 31.0 mol % or less TG were crystallizable, but the other copolymers containing 34–56 mol % TG were amorphous. The DSC isothermal results revealed that the addition of a small amount of flexible TG (up to 21 mol %) to the PET structure slightly reduced the formation of three‐dimensional spherulites. A greater TG concentration (91–100%) in the copolyesters changed the crystal growth from two‐dimensional to three‐dimensional. The DSC heating scans after the completion of isothermal crystallization at various T_cs showed three melting endotherms for PET, PETT‐88, PETT‐84, and PETT‐79 and four melting endotherms for PETT‐9 and PETT. The presence of an additional melting endotherm could be attributed to the melting of thinner and imperfect copolyester crystallites. Analyses of the Lauritzen–Hoffman equation demonstrated that PETT‐88 had the highest values of the product of the lateral and folding surface free energies, and this suggested that the addition of small amounts of flexible trimethylene terephthalate segments to PET disturbed chain regularity, thus increasing molecular chain mobility. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4255–4271, 2004     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units. II. Crystallization studies

The microstructure and crystallization behavior of a set of poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐5‐nitroisophthalate) copolymers (PETNI) containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units in the 10–50 mol % range were examined and compared to those of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate) (PETI) copolymers. A ¹³C NMR analysis of PETNI copolymers in a trifluoroacetic acid solution indicates that they are random copolymers with average sequence lengths in accordance with ideal polycondensation statistics. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies show that PETNI containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units up to 20 mol % are able to crystallize and that crystallization takes place in these copolymers at much slower rates than in PET. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction from powder and fibers reveals that crystallizable PETNI adopts the same triclinic crystal structure as PET, with the nitroisophthalate units being excluded from crystallites. Fourier transform infrared in combination with cross‐polarization/magic‐angle spinning ¹³C NMR spectroscopy demonstrates the occurrence of a gauche–trans conversion encompassing the crystallization process. A correlation between DSC and spectroscopic data leads us to conclude that the content of trans conformer in the noncrystallized phase of PETNI is higher than in both PET and PETI copolymers and suggests that secondary crystallization in the homopolymer must proceed by a mechanism different than that in copolymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1553–1564, 2001     

Crystallization and melting behavior of liquid crystalline copolyesters based on poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A series of copolyesters were prepared by the incorporation of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA), hydroquinone (HQ), and terephthalic acid (TA) into poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). On the basis of viscosity measurements, high molar mass copolyesters were obtained in the syntheses, and ¹H‐NMR analyses indicated the total insertion of comonomers. They exhibit nematic phase above melting temperature, as observed by polarized light microscope (PLM). Their crystallization and melting behaviors were also studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). It was found that these copolyesters are more crystalline than copolyesters prepared from PET and HBA. Introduction of HQ/TA disrupts longer rigid‐rod sequences formed by HBA, and thus enhances molecular motion and increases crystallization rate and crystallinity. Isothermal crystallization at solid phase polymerization conditions (up to 24 h at 200°C) resulted in increased copolymer randomness (by NMR) and higher melting point, the latter attributed to structural annealing. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 369–377, 1999     

Poly(ethylene‐co‐1,4‐cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) copolyesters obtained by ring opening polymerization

Cyclic oligomer fractions of ethylene terephthalate c(ET)_n and 1,4‐cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate c(CT)_n were obtained by cyclodepolymerization of their respective polyesters, the former containing around 80 mol % of trimer and the latter with around 70 mol % of trimer to pentamer. Mixtures of these fractions at selected compositions were subjected to ring opening copolymerization to give a series of poly(ethylene‐co‐cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) copolyesters with ET/CT comonomer ratios ranging from 90/10 to 10/90. The copolyesters were characterized by GPC and NMR, and their thermal properties were evaluated by DSC and TGA. They had essentially the same composition as the feed from which they were produced and had an average‐weight molecular weights between 30,000 and 40,000 g/mol with polydispersities between 2 and 2.7. The distribution of the monomeric units in these copolyesters was essentially at random although it evolved to be a blocky microstructure as the contents in the two comonomers became more dissimilar. Their thermal behavior was the expected one for these types of copolyesters with crystallinity and heating stability decreasing with the content in CT units. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5954–5966, 2009     

Structure-property relationships of copolyamides. I. Thermal properties and crystallization

Six nylon salts [hexamethylenediammonium adipate (6.6), hexamethylenediammonium terephthalate (6.T), hexamethylenediammonium isophthalate (6.I), p-xylylenediammonium adipate (PXD.6), m-xylylenediammonium adipate (MXD.6), and m-xylylenediammonium isophthalate (MXD.I)] were copolymerized with ε-caprolactam. The resulting random copolyamides showed different modes of crystallization as confirmed by the melting temperature depression and the decrease in the isothermal crystallization rate. By selective hydrolysis it was found that the differences in T_m depression and isothermal crystallization rate were due to partial inclusion of comonomers in the crystal lattice. The effect of comonomer structure on the crystallization rate is also discussed.     

Acetone solubility and diffusivity in poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified with low levels of 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid,isophthalic acid,and 2,5-bis-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole

A series of random copolyesters was prepared by replacing up to 10 wt.% of the dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with dimethyl 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate (NDC), isophthalic acid (IPA), or 2,5-bis-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (ODCA). Solution cast films of the resulting copolymers were prepared and characterized. Modification of PET with NDC and ODCA led to copolymers with glass transition temperatures higher than that of PET, while modification with IPA decreased the glass transition temperature. Copolymerization decreased crystallinity levels in all cases. The acetone solubility and acetone diffusion coefficient were determined by integral kinetic gravimetric sorption experiments at 35°C and 5.4 cm Hg acetone pressure. PET containing low levels of NDC had lower amorphous phase acetone diffusivity and solubility than PET, while PET modified with IPA had amorphous phase acetone diffusivity and acetone solubility similar to that of PET. PET modified with 5% ODCA had amorphous phase acetone diffusivity similar to that of PET, while PET modified with 10% ODCA had an amorphous phase acetone diffusivity value slightly lower than that of PET. Copolymers containing ODCA had somewhat higher acetone solubilities that PET, due mainly to the lower levels of crystallinity in the ODCA-containing polymers than in PET.     

Time-resolved SAXS studies on crystallization behavior of polyõethylene isophthalate-co-ethylene terephthalatešs

Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements using synchrotron radiation were carried out for poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene isophthalate-co-ethylene terephthalate)s. In addition, differential scanning calorimetric measurements were conducted. Measurements were made both on polymers undergoing isothermal crystallization and during subsequent remelting. The primary and secondary crystallization behaviors are examined. Isophthalate units were found to be excluded from the crystals into amorphous layers during crystallization. No crystal thickening was observed during isothermal crystallization, which may be due to the relatively high chain rigidity. Secondary crystallization, detected predominantly at the later stages of crystallization, causes densification and shrinkage of the amorphous layer. Considering the results, it is proposed that secondary crystallization involves the formation of short-range molecular order in the amorphous layers of a lamellar stack as well as in the amorphous regions between lamellar stacks. This short-range-ordered phase has a lower density than the lamellar crystal formed by primary crystallization.     

Development of amorphous copolyesters based on 1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol

The modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) with 1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol and the modification of poly(1,4‐cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) with ethylene glycol or isophthalic acid retard the crystallization of the copolyester backbone, and over a wide range of comonomer concentrations, very slowly crystallizing, essentially amorphous copolyesters are formed. These amorphous copolyesters possess attractive physical properties such as toughness, low color, and chemical resistance, and since their first commercial introduction in 1977, these copolyesters have become the basis of a large and growing plastics business for Eastman Chemical Co. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5847–5852, 2004     

EFFECT OF CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF COMONOMERS ON THE PROPERTIES OF COPOLYESTERS

The effect of different kinds of comonomers with or without flexible chain on proper-ties of copolyesters, such as transition temperature, crystallization velocity, crystallinityand size of crystallites, is studied. The experimental results indicate the obvious differ-ence in properties between comonomers with iso- and ortho-structure of phenyl ring andcomonomers with flexible chain. The influence of chemical structure of comonomers onproperties of copolyesters is discussed.     

Permeability of N2, Ar,He, O2, and CO2 through as‐extruded amorphous and biaxially oriented polyester films: Dependence on chain mobility

For as‐extruded amorphous and biaxially orientated polyester films based on poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthalate), and copolymers containing poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene naphthalate) moieties, permeability, diffusion, and solubility coefficients are interpreted in terms of chain mobility. The influence of polymer morphology is determined by comparison of the data for as‐extruded amorphous sheets and materials produced with different biaxial draw ratios. The crystallinities of the samples were assessed using differential scanning calorimetry and density measurements. Changes in mobility at a molecular level were investigated using dielectric spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The study, in conjunction with our earlier work, leads to the conclusion that the key to understanding differences in gas transport is the difference in local chain motions rather than in free volume. This was illustrated by the permeability results for He, Ar, N₂, and O₂ in the range of polyesters. However, the permeability of CO₂ was found to require alternative explanations because of polymer–penetrant interactions. For biaxially oriented samples, the differences in diffusivity are not only due to differences in local chain motions, but also additional constraints resulting from the increased crystallinity and chain rigidity—which also act to hinder segmental mobility. The effectiveness of the reduction in permeability in the biaxially oriented films is consequently determined by the ability of the polymer chains to effectively align and form crystalline structures. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2916–2929, 2004     

Effects of comonomer sequential structure on thermal and crystallization behaviors of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate‐co‐butylene terephthalate)s

In this work, new investigations on the effect of comonomer sequential structure on the thermal and crystallization behaviors and biodegradability have been implemented for the biodegradable poly(butylene succinate‐co‐butylene terephthalate) (PBST) as well as aliphatic poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). At first, these copolyesters were efficiently synthesized from dimethyl succinate and/or dimethyl terephthalate and 1,4‐butanediol via condensation polymerization in bulk. Subsequently, their molecular weights and macromolecular chain structures were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. By means of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometer (WAXD), thermal and crystallization behaviors of these synthesized aromatic–aliphatic copolyesters were further explored. It was demonstrated that the synthesized copolyesters were revealed to have random comonomer sequential structures with thermal and crystallization properties strongly depending on their comonomer molar compositions, and that crystal lattice structures of the new crystallizable copolyesters shifted from the monoclinic crystal of semicrystalline PBS to triclinic lattice of the poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with increasing the terephthalate comonomer composition, and the minor comonomer components were suggested to be trapped in the crystallizable component domains as defects. In addition, the enzymatic degradability was also characterized for the copolyesters film samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1635–1644, 2006     

Oxygen‐barrier properties of oriented and heat‐set poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The improvement in the oxygen‐barrier properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by orientation and heat setting was examined. Orientation was carried out at 65 °C by constrained uniaxial stretching to a draw ratio of about 4. Heat setting was performed at temperatures from 90 to 160 °C with the specimen taut. Orientation decreased the permeability of PET to almost one‐third that of the unoriented, amorphous polymer because of decreases in both the diffusion coefficient and the solubility coefficient. The proposed two‐phase model for oriented PET consisted of a permeable isotropic amorphous phase (density = 1.335 g/cm³) with ethylene linkages predominately in the gauche conformation and an impermeable oriented phase (density = 1.38 g/cm³) with ethylene linkages that had transformed from the gauche conformation to the trans conformation during stretching. Chain segments in the trans conformation did not possess crystalline order; instead, they were viewed as forming an ordered amorphous phase. Crystallization by heat setting above the glass‐transition temperature did not dramatically affect the permeability. However, a decrease in the diffusion coefficient, offset by an increase in the solubility coefficient, indicated that crystallization affected the barrier properties of the permeable amorphous phase. Analysis of the barrier data, assuming a two‐phase model with variable density for both the permeable and impermeable phases, revealed that the impermeable phase density increased during crystallization, approaching a value of 1.476 g/cm³. This value is consistent with previous measurements of the density of the defective crystalline phase in PET. The density of the permeable amorphous phase decreased concurrently to about 1.325 g/cm³, indicating the appearance of additional free volume. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1679–1686, 2000