Crystallization of isotactic polystyrene from dilute solutions

The overall rate of crystallization of isotactic polystyrene from dilute solutions, 1% by weight, in trans-decalin and benzyl alcohol was studied as a function of temperature using dilatometry. These solvents were chosen because the dissolution temperatures of crystalline isotactic polystyrene are practically the same in both solvents. The overall rate of crystallization as a function of crystallization temperature showed a maximum in both solvents at about 50°C. At lower crystallization temperatures the rate of crystallization is much lower. The overall rate of crystallization of isotactic polystyrene in benzyl alcohol is far larger than in trans-decalin at the same undercooling throughout the temperature range, which is in apparent contradiction to present crystallization theories. At very large undercooling (T_c lower than about 0°C) the solutions of isotactic polystyrene in both solvents quickly become “rigid” gels. Surface replicas of freeze-etched gels indicate that a fringed micelle type of crystallization takes place at these low temperatures. The transition from folded chain crystallization to fringed micelle crystallization may be due to a stiffening of the polymer chain below about 50°C, with a reduced rotational mobility of the phenyl groups on the chain. If very dilute solutions, below 0.5% by weight, are crystallized at these low temperatures no gels were formed but fibrous crystals are produced which could be observed under the polarizing microscope.     

Crystallization of oriented smectic polypropylene I. Thermally induced crystallization

The crystallization induced by thermal treatments of smectic polypropylene fibres has been studied. Analysis was carried out detecting the density and X-ray diffractograms. Density and diffraction data disagree on two important aspects: the critical temperature necessary to activate the crystallization process, and the effects of annealing time on the growth process. The first point seems to suggest that the observed densification at the lower temperatures is related to phenomena differing from a crystallization process, while the observed effects of the annealing time can be explained by assuming that the anisotropy of the fibre structure induces anisotropy in the phase transition and growth process. On the other hand, density and diffraction data agree in indicating that the rate and degree of crystallization increase on increasing the crystallization temperature.     

Glassy polymer solutions: Morphology of in situ crystallized additives

In the present work the phenomenon of in situ crystallization of low molecular weight organic compounds from an amorphous polymer was studied. Phase diagrams of tetrachloroxylene and tetrachlorobenzene with polystyrene showing softening, precipitation, and dissolution have been constructed. Three modes of crystallization, namely, needlelike, dendritic, and tiny crystalline particles have been observed depending on cooling rate. Hot stage optical microscopy and electron microscopy have been used to study crystallization, dissolution, and morphology. Softening temperature was determined by the vicat method. Shearing of samples undergoing crystallization has produced oriented samples.     

Optical and calorimetric analysis of stress-induced crystallization in natural rubber networks

Stress-induced crystallization of natural rubber networks is studied. The analysis is carried out using two different experimental techniques and the results are compared. In particular, the microcalorimetric and photoelastic results seem to be in disagreement, but the disagreement can be resolved by assuming that organization phenomena take place even at strains less than the critical value at which thermally detectable crystallization occurs. It is believed that such organization phenomena give rise to highly defective crystallites which behave as nucleation agents in the crystallization process that is induced at larger strains.     

Reversible Melting During Crystallization of Polymers Studied by Temperature Modulated Techniques (TMDSC, TMDMA)

Quasi-isothermal temperature modulated DSC and DMA measurements (TMDSC and TMDMA, respectively) were performed to determine heat capacity and shear modulus as a function of time during crystallization. Non-reversible and reversible phenomena in the crystallization region of polymers can be observed. The combination of TMDSC and TMDMA yields new information about local processes at the surface of polymer crystals, like reversible melting. Reversible melting can be observed in complex heat capacity and in the amplitude of shear modulus in response to temperature perturbation. The fraction of material involved in reversible melting, which is established during main crystallization, keeps constant during secondary crystallization for PCL PET and PEEK. This shows that also after long crystallization times the surfaces of the individual polymer crystallites are in equilibrium with the surrounding melt. Simply speaking, polymer crystals are ‘living crystals’. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crystallization kinetics and multiple melting phenomena of a flame‐retardant phosphorus containing copolyester

Melt, cold isothermal crystallization kinetics, and multiple melting phenomena are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for a flame‐retardant phosphorus containing copolyester. The crystallization kinetics was investigated by the Avrami equation. The Avrami exponent is about 2.6 for melt crystallization and about 2 for cold crystallization. The crystallization activation energy for melt crystallization and for cold crystallization is −64.7 and 145.5, respectively. Three melting endotherms are found in the DSC scan, and they are explained in terms of secondary crystallization, primary crystallization, and recrystallization during the scan. A strong evidence of a two‐stage crystallization mechanism was also observed in the DSC isothermal experiment and X‐ray diffraction. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2269–2277, 1999     

Three-dimensional description of the spontaneous onset of homochirality on the surface of a conglomerate crystal phase

The spontaneous emergence of homochirality in an initially racemic system can be obtained in far-from-equilibrium states. Traditional models do not take into account the influence of inhomogeneities, while they may be of great importance. What would happen when one configuration emerges at one position, and the opposite one at another position? We present a discrete three-dimensional model of conglomerate crystallization, based on 1,1'-binaphthyl crystallization experiments, that takes into account the position and environment of every single elementary growth subunit. Stochastic simulations were performed to predict the evolution of the crystallization process. It is shown that the traditional view of the symmetry breaking can then be extended. Fluctuations of the fixed points related to inhomogeneities are observed, and complex behavior, such as local instabilities, transient structures, and chaotic behavior, can emerge. Our modeling indicates that such complex phenomena could cause large fluctuation of the final enantiomeric excess that is observed experimentally in binaphthyl crystallization. The results presented in this article show the importance of inhomogeneities in understanding enantiomeric excess generated in crystallization and the inadequacy of the models based on the assumption of homogeneity.     

醇类低温保护剂对NaCl水溶液共晶的影响

为了研究低温保护剂对盐水溶液共晶的影响, 利用差示扫描量热法(DSC)对添加不同浓度的甘油、乙二醇、1, 2-丙二醇、1, 3-丙二醇和二甲基亚砜的NaCl 水溶液的共晶现象进行了研究. 发现NaCl 水溶液共晶是一个过冷随机过程,醇类和二甲基亚砜对之有抑制作用.保护剂浓度越高,共晶焓越小, 对共晶的抑制作用越大. 其中4种醇类保护剂的抑制能力从强到弱依次是甘油、乙二醇、1, 2-丙二醇和1, 3-丙二醇.其抑制能力的强弱主要由分子量/羟基数的比值决定, 其次受甲基影响. 二甲基亚砜抑制共晶的能力与乙二醇的接近. 研究发现升温过程中,三元溶液发生共晶体的玻璃化现象和反玻璃化现象.     

Crystallization kinetics of dilute polyethylene solutions

The crystallization kinetics of a high molecular weight fraction of linear polyethylene was studied in dilute solutions of p-xylene, n-hexadecane, and decalin by dilatometric methods. For all solvents and temperatures, the experimental isotherms could be quantitatively described by the Avrami formulation for the complete transformation. This result is unique in the realm of polymer crystallization, since marked deviations from this theory are usually observed in more concentrated systems. The Avrami exponent is found to be n = 4 in all cases. The temperature coefficients of the rate constants are indicative of a nucleation controlled process. The data fit either a two-dimensional or three-dimensional nucleation mode, and a discrimination can not be made between these two cases. The interfacial free energies are found to be independent of the solvent medium. It is also shown that, irrespective of the type of nucleation control governing the kinetics, the same type governs the crystallite thickness of the lamella-like crystals that are formed.     

Fractionation process in TREF systems: Validation of thermodynamic model and calculation procedure by Raman LAM studies

In this paper, possible sources for the unexpected distributions of crystalline sequence lengths calculated from temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) calibration experiments, as reported in a previous work, are investigated. With this aim, chain folding and cocrystalization phenomena were explored in the conditions of crystallization as used for TREF or crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF). Slow crystallizations were performed from xylene solutions of model low molecular weight ethylene homopolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions. The same experiments were performed with homopolymers having narrow molecular weight distributions and with blends having wide molecular weight distributions. The resulting distributions of the lengths of crystalline methylene sequences were directly studied by Raman in the so‐called longitudinal acoustic mode (LAM) and by DSC. For ethylene homopolymers with molecular weights below 2000 g/mol, the results from Raman LAM indicate that slow crystallization in TREF or CRYSTAF systems occurs in the extended‐chain mode. For higher molecular weights, evidence of chain folding was found. In the case of blends, independent crystallization was observed for each molecular weight when the molecular weight ranges used for the blends are relatively narrow. Cocrystallization was observed when this range was increased. Overall, these results strongly support the inverse technique calculation procedure developed by our group for the calculation of distributions of lengths of crystallizable sequences from TREF spectra. In this context, the results confirm that the unexpected crystallizable sequence lengths found in our previous work really exist and can be associated to chain folding or cocrystallization phenomena. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3083–3092, 2005     

Aging phenomena in isotactic polypropylene drawn at different temperatures

Fibers of isotactic polypropylene drawn at different temperatures show aging phenomena after drawing. In particular a modulus stiffening is observed at room temperature where the modulus increases with the aging time. In the same time scale the birefringence is constant, while drastic effects on the transport properties are observed. The aging phenomenon can be explained in terms of two mechanisms: a secondary crystallization and/or a densification of the amorphous component.     

Crystallization kinetical and morphological peculiarities in binary crystalline/crystalline polymer blends

A survey is presented on the crystallization kinetics and the morphology of miscible crystalline/crystalline polymer blends. There are only few corresponding systems. In them, however, a number of strange kinetic and structural phenomena can be observed: (i) spherulitic crystallization of the components side‐by‐side, (ii) “interpenetrating crystallization,” (iii) “interlocking spherulitic crystallization,” and (iv) “interfilling crystallization.” Cocrystallization is forbidden for crystallographic reasons. The blend partners grow instead in their own lamellar stacks, and mixed lamellar stacks are a seldom and questionable exception. They crystallize also usually stepwise and not simultaneously. Upon step crystallization, the crystallization of the second component is determined by its redistribution with crystallization of the former. Those composition inhomogeneities are an independent issue that arises also with the development of the morphology in crystalline/amorphous blends, and a corresponding survey is yielded, too. The blend poly (vinylidene fluoride)/poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate is a convenient model system as it can show all of these morphological and kinetic features after suitable thermal treatment. Some of them are demonstrated in the present publication. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1917–1931, 2007     

Effect of a reduced mobility layer on the interplay between molecular relaxations and diffusion-limited crystallization rate in ultrathin polymer films

In ultrathin polymer films, the coupling between the segmental mobility, precursor of the molecular diffusion, and the crystallization rate is broken down because of interfacial interactions. In particular, in the presence of a reduced mobility layer at the interface with the substrate, the crystallization kinetics slow down at a length scale bigger than the one connected with the deviation from bulk behavior of the structural relaxation. By modeling the influence of the substrate interactions on the parameters governing the temperature evolution of the main relaxation time, it was possible to reproduce the effect of geometrical confinement on the quantities connected to the diffusion-limited crystallization rate. Upon reduction of the thickness or increasing of the substrate interaction, the films show an apparent higher glass stability in terms of an increase of the cold crystallization temperature and of the crystallization time. The deviations from bulk behavior were found to vanish above a crossover temperature as already observed for the phenomena connected to the glass transition.     

Correlation between glass transition and crystallization phenomena in context of Meyer–Neldel rule

The physical origin of the glass transition and its possible connection with crystallization is still an unresolved problem of glass science. Recent publications demonstrate the strong evidence of intrinsic relation between glass transition and crystallization phenomena. Here, we study this problem by using Meyer–Neldel rule (MNR) as a tool. The observation of MNR in thermally activated non-isothermal crystallization was verified by us in past. The objective of the present work is to check the applicability of MNR for thermally activated non-isothermal glass transition and crystallization in some chalcogenide glasses. We found that like crystallization, the glass transition phenomenon also obeys the MNR.     

Double crystallization behavior in dry-jet wet spinning of cellulose/N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide hydrate solutions

The structure and resultant mechanical properties of fibers in the dry-jet wet spinning process of cellulose solutions in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) hydrates were investigated in terms of molecular weight of cellulose, concentration, and hydration number (n) of NMMO hydrate. The value of n had an effect on the crystallization behavior of the cellulose solution system, which influenced the resultant fiber structure. Increasing cellulose concentration and decreasing the value of n retarded crystallization because of the increased interactions between cellulose and NMMO hydrate. Reducing the value of n from 1 to 0.72 produced more highly oriented cellulose fibers. However, incorporating n-propyl gallate, an antioxidant, had little effect on the fiber structure. When n=0.72 a double crystallization behavior was observed in the fiber spinning process irrespective of molecular weight of cellulose and concentration over the experimental ranges examined. It should be noted that such a double crystallization took place in the absence of foreign additives. The double crystallization behavior was more noticeable when the aspect ratio of spinning nozzle was greater. The double layer structure had a positive effect on the mechanical strength.     

Differential scanning calorimetry of poly(2,6 dimethyl-1,4 phenylene-oxide)-toluene solutions

A study has been made by differential scanning calorimetry of the phase separation phenomena of solutions of poly(2,6 dimethyl-1,4 phenylene-oxide) (PPO) in toluene. Upon cooling a homogeneous solution, liquid-liquid phase separation always precedes crystallization effects. By assuming the correction parameter g (in the expression for the chemical potential difference of the solution) to be temperature-dependent, the value of the heat of fusion is calculated to be 8·2 cal g^?1 for PPO toluene crystals.     

A Study of Ca-Mg Silicate Crystalline Glazes--An Analysis on Forms of Crystals

In the study on Ca-Mg silicate crystalline glazes, we found some disequilibrated crystallization phenomena,such as non-crystallographic small angle forking and spheroidal growth, parasitism and wedging-form of crystals, dendritic growth, secondary nucleation, etc. Those phenomena possibly resulted from two factors:(1) partial temperature gradient, which is caused by heat asymmetry in the electrical resistance furnace,when crystals crystalize from silicate melt ; (2) constitutional supercooling near the surface of crystals. The disparity of disequilibrated crystallization phenomena in different main crystalline phases causes various morphological features of the crystal aggregates. At the same time, disequilibrated crystallization causes great stress retained in the crystals, which results in cracks in glazes when the temperature drops. According to the results, the authors analyzed those phenomena and displayed correlative figures and data.     

Phase separation phenomena in solutions of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenyleneoxide) in mixtures of trichloroethylene, 1-octanol,and methanol: Relationship to membrane formation

The phase boundaries in the quaternary system consisting of the polymer poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenyleneoxide) (PPO

1 PPO is a registered trademark of the General Electric Company.

), the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE), and the nonsolvents 1-octanol (OcOH) and methanol (MeOH) are determined. The kinetics of crystallization are investigated by pulse-induced critical scattering. The formation and properties of PPO membranes are discussed in relation to the phase separation phenomena.     

A hierarchical model of crystallization in polymeric gels and porous solids

A kinetic model of the crystallization of substances in the volume of an agglomerate of many microparticles or in a polymeric gel in solution with a given composition and temperature was formulated. The model takes into account the diffusion of the crystallizing substance from outside into the space between microparticles in an agglomerate or between polymeric globules in a gel and then from this space into the volume of microparticles (globules) with the simultaneous nucleation and growth of microcrystals of the crystallizing substance. The possibility of simultaneous diffusion of several crystallizing substances, which chemically react with each other to produce product microcrystals, heating of the gel (solid) by the heat of crystallization, pushing the solution out from the space between microparticles, and changes in the volume of the gel (solid) as a result of crystallization is considered. The model was used to develop a classification of crystallization types in gels and porous solids and interpret several phenomena described in the literature. A hypothesis was advanced concerning some unknown phenomena related to crystallization.