Properties and structures of films drawn from polyethylene single-crystal mats

The properties and structures of polyethylene films drawn from mats of single crystals were investigated in comparison with films drawn from bulk polymer. The most important result obtained is that the structural reorganization stimulated by mechanical stress and annealing occurs with much greater difficulty in the mat-drawn film. The chief mechanical characteristics of the film are a very low extensibility and a very high modulus. Structural characteristics, such as the double-orientation of the crystalline region and the morphology of the crystals, do suffer no substantial changes during annealing at high temperatures. This stability of the structure can be related to the characteristic fine structure of the mat-drawn film in which there are a much larger number of tie chains, connecting neighboring crystals, than in the bulk-drawn specimen. Relaxation of the amorphous region and a notable increase in long spacing take place in the mat-drawn sample as in ordinary bulk-drawn samples. However, the morphological changes of the crystals accompanied by the folding back of chains seem to take place with great difficulty during annealing even in the vicinity of the melting point.     

Solution annealing of poly(TMPS) crystal mats

Poly(tetramethyl-p-silphenylene siloxane) crystal mats initially prepared from benzene/methanol (2:1 v/v), when annealed in small amounts of solvent undergo considerable thickening in the chain direction. When the crystals are annealed above their formation temperature, their physical properties change rapidly at first before reaching an asymptotic limit commensurate with annealing time and type of solvent. Changes in melting temperature, heat of fusion, small-angle x-ray spacing, and wide-angle x-ray scattering patterns have been monitored for three solvents of varying solvent power, ranging from very good to extremely poor. Upon solution annealing, the original crystals mats equilibrate to more stable dimensions compatible with their environment. The activation energy of crystal thickening in contact with a liquid is estimated to be about an order of magnitude lower than that deduced from dry annealing data. It appears that the crystal surface and the crystalline core of the crystals comprising the mats must participate in the measured severalfold increase in long period noted after annealing. The lower surface (or interfacial) energy of the liquid annealed mats compared to isothermally melt-crystallized polymer of similar molecular weight has a direct bearing on the polymer morphology and crystallinity.     

Melting behavior of linear polyethylene crystallized by solution stirring

Calorimetric and dilatometric studies have been made of the fusion process of linear polyethylene crystals precipitated by high speed stirring from solution. It is shown that long-time annealing at elevated temperatures alleviates the superheating observed when rapid heating rates are employed. By the annealing procedures that have been adopted, a small but demonstrable fraction of high melting material can be produced whose melting temperature depends on the crystallization temperature. For crystallization at 105°C, followed by annealing at 142°C, a melting temperature of 146.0 ± 0.5°C is observed. The dissolution temperature in xylene, determined for the same sample, is consistent with the high melting temperature observed for the pure polymer. It is recognized that a state of high axial orientation need not necessarily be identified with extended chain crystals. Consequently, the increased melting temperature can result from either an increase in the crystallite size or a reduced interfacial free energy relative to crystallites produced by the more conventional mode of crystallization.     

Effects of posttreatment on the properties of modified PLLA/PDLA fibers

Poly(L ‐lactic acid)/poly(D ‐lactic acid) (PLLA/PDLA) blended with plasticizer poly(ethylene glycol) and nucleation agent TMC‐306 as‐spun fibers were prepared by melt spinning. The posttreatment was applied by hot drawing at 70°C and then heat‐treating at different temperatures for 30 minutes. In the process of hot drawing, orientation induced the further formation of the sc crystals and increased the degree of crystallinity of drawn fibers. When the hot drawing ratio reached 3 times, the properties of the fibers were relatively better. The highly oriented fibers containing pure sc crystals with high crystallinity were obtained by heat‐treating at a temperature above the melting point of α crystals. The posttreated PLLA/PDLA fibers with poly(ethylene glycol) and TMC‐306 (LDTP) obtained by hot drawing to 3 times at 70°C and then annealing at 170°C for 30 minutes exhibited the best antioxidative degradation and heat resistance properties. The initial decomposition temperature (T_5%) and heat resistance of posttreated LDTP fiber were about 94°C and 20°C higher than those of the commercial PLLA fiber, respectively.     

Nanoscale calorimetry of isolated polyethylene single crystals

We used thin‐film differential scanning calorimetry to investigate the melting of isolated polyethylene single crystals with lamellar thicknesses of 12 ± 1 nm. We observed the melting of as few as 25 crystals. Over a wide number of crystals (25–2000 crystals), the heat of fusion was 40% larger than the bulk value. The melting temperature of the isolated single crystals was 123 ± 2 °C, 9 °C lower than that of the bulk material. We also measured the heat of fusion of quenched crystals (±15%) over a wide range of heating rates (20,000–100,000 K/s). Annealing the quenched crystals resulted in shifts in the endotherm peak by as much as 15 °C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 1237–1245, 2001     

Mechanical relaxations in γ-ray-polymerized polyethylene

Dynamic mechanical properties of cold-compacted films of polyethylene prepared by γ-ray-induced polymerization in bulk at 30°C are discussed in connection with the fine structure. The cold-compacted films show a broad α-relaxation at a lower temperature than do single-crystal mats or melt-crystallized polymer. From the effects of annealing and swelling by carbon tetrachloride on the relaxation, it is concluded that the α-relaxation, like the α-relaxation in the single-crystal mats, originates from molecular motions within lamellar crystals. This is consistent with the finding that these films are composed of stacked small irregular lamellar crystals. The γ-relaxation is also similar to that in crystal mats.     

Annealing effects in poly(vinylidene fluoride) as revealed by specific volume measurements,differential scanning calorimetry,and electron microscopy

Specimens of poly(vinylidene fluoride), crystal form II, annealed at different temperatures between 130 and 180°C were characterized by specific volume measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electron micróscopy. The degree of crystallinity calculated from the specific volume changed only by 15% i.e., from 50% to 65%. On the other hand, the melting behavior changed with annealing conditions. When a specimen was annealed above 170°C, two endothermic peaks appeared on either side of the annealing temperature. Results from DSC measurements made at different heating rates and electron microscopy showed that the two endotherms were caused by a bimodal distribution of lamellar thicknesses. The equilibrium melting point was found to be 210°C from the linear relation of the melting point and the annealing temperature. The equilibrium enthalpy and entropy of fusion were found to be 1.6 keal/mole and 3.3 eu/mole of repeat units by measurement on polymer–diluent mixtures. The surface free energy was found to be 5.1 kcal/mole of lamellar sequences from the plot of melting point versus reciprocal lamellar thickness obtained by electron microscopy. From a plot of enthalpy of fusion versus reciprocal lamellar thickness the surface enthalpy was found to be 20 keal/mole of lamellar sequences. These data lead to the estimate that a chain fold consists of about 30 repeat units.     

Polymorphism in polymers. I. The equilibrium melting temperature of two crystalline modifications of trans-1,4-polyisoprene

Dilatometric, calorimetric, and dissolution studies have been made of two crystalline modifications of trans-1,4-polyisoprene in order to determine their equilibrium melting temperatures. This parameter is of fundamental importance in the formal treatment of polymorphism in crystalline polymers. A consistent set of thermodynamic parameters has been derived for both crystalline modifications. The equilibrium melting temperature of the polymorph, which was previously observed to melt from carefully crystallized bulk material at 64°C, was calculated to be at least 82.4°C. The other form, which melts from the bulk at 74°C, has an equilibrium melting temperature of 79.5 ± 0.5°C. The trans-1,4-polyisoprene, crystallized by stirring n-butyl acetate solutions at 49°C, was found by x-ray diffraction to be in the first form and melts at 81.2 ± 0.5°C when very slow heating rates are applied. This melting temperature is very close to the independently derived equilibrium melting temperature and lends support to the possibility that extended chain crystals are present in these solution crystallized crystals. Using the newly found melting temperatures of the two crystalline modifications it can be derived from the free energies of fusion that the first crystalline form is more stable at temperatures above approximately 66°C, whereas the other form is more stable below this temperature.     

Longitudinal growth of polymer crystals from flowing solutions. VI. Melting behavior of continuous fibrillar polyethylene crystals

The melting behavior of continuous fibrillar crystals of high-molecular-weight polyethylene has been investigated. The macrofibers were grown from dilute solutions in xylene subjected to Couette flow in the temperature range between 103 and 118.5°C. The thermograms, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, exhibit three melting endotherms with peak temperatures at 141, 150.5, and 159.5°C after extrapolation to zero scan speed. All peaks were found to be strongly superheatable. Reduction of fiber length, in particular by etching with fuming nitric acid, led to the disappearance of the melting peaks at 150.5 and 159.5°C. The remaining peak at 136°C appeared not to be superheatable. The heat of fusion of the fragmented fibers was 69.8 cal/g. Wide-angle x-ray diffractograms taken on a macrofiber while gradually heated at a rate of 0.35°C/min at constant length showed that the triclinic phase present in the fiber disappeared at 130°C and that the orthorhombic cell transformed into the hexagonal modification at 150°C. This hexagonal phase was still observable at 180°C. The retractive force developed on heating at constant length displays first a slight decrease followed by a maximum at 150°C. Beyond the latter temperature the stress decays abruptly corresponding to the temperature at which fracture of the fiber could be observed visually. From all these observations it is inferred that the first melting endotherm in the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) thermograms arises from the melting of unconstrained fibrillar crystal regions which are able to shrink during fusion. Moreover, the melting of lamellar overgrowths on the elementary fibrils on shish-kebab type may contribute to this endotherm. The second melting endotherm at about 150°C is associated with the transformation of the orthorhombic into the hexagonal lattice in constrained parts of the sample. This latter “rotator” phase allows slippage of the polymer chains past each other, giving rise to stress relaxation. The third endotherm arises from melting of this hexagonal phase and the heat take-up connected with the formation of higher energy gauche states upon randomization of the chains in the melt. Almost smooth, fully constrained fibrillar crystals grown at high temperature absorb more than 15.5 cal/g during this process, indicating that the polymer chains in such fibers must be highly extended.     

Origin of double melting peaks in drawn nylon 6 yarns

The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) melting curves of drawn nylon 6 were studied from the standpoint of reorganization of the crystals during the heating process. A new method was presented to obtain the DSC curve associated with the growth and melting of the original crystals, and that with the recrystallization and final melting process, separately. The results obtained show that, in the case of a heating rate of 10°C/min, the original crystals in the sample start perfecting themselves at temperatures far below their initial melting temperature and melt out below 222°C, recrystallization starts at about 210°C, and the newly emerged crystals melt out at 228°C. The superposition of two such constructed DSC curves reproduces the observed DSC curve well. Therefore, the double melting peaks of the sample are considered to be the result of superposition of three processes which occur successively during heating; perfection of the original crystals, melting of the perfected crystals concurrently with recrystallization, and melting of the recrystallized crystals.     

Effect of constrained annealing on the mechanical properties of electrospun poly(ethylene oxide) webs containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes

In this work, flexible nanofibrous membranes (mats) of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with and without multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were fabricated by electrospinning. The effects of annealing and MWNT concentration on mat morphology, MWNT dispersion within the nanofibers, and the mechanical properties of electrospun mats were studied. Annealing temperatures ranged from 60 °C to 64 °C [near the melting temperature (64 °C via differential scanning calorimetry)] for 4 minutes. Samples were annealed with and without applied tension (constrained and unconstrained annealing). Annealing at the highest temperature (64 °C), before the loss of fibrous morphology, significantly improved fiber–fiber bonding and therefore the tensile strength of the mats. Compared with unconstrained annealing, constrained annealing introduced fiber alignment (and therefore molecular orientation) along the tensile axis (direction of constraint) during annealing and resulted in a significant increase in modulus for all samples (with and without MWNTs). The use of constrained annealing may be a facile approach to enhance modulus in nanofibrous mats while maintaining high porosity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 787–796     

Effects of annealing and isothermal crystallization upon crystalline forms of poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) exists in three crystalline forms. Optimum conditions for preparing form III were established by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and x-ray diffraction measurements. Form III is easily obtained by annealing mats of solution-grown crystals of form II at 175–185°C and is also preferentially formed by isothermal crystallization from the melt between 165 and 175°C. Below 165° crystallization of form II is favored. The melting point of form III is higher than that of form II.     

Morphology of polyethylene crystallized by solution stirring

Dilatometric and calorimetric studies have been made of the fusion process of linear polyethylene crystallized by stirring xylene solutions at elevated temperatures. It is shown that the melting point of the crystals increases rapidly from 139.5°C to 145°C in the crystallization temperature range of 100–103°C and levels off to 146 ± 0.5°C, provided that very slow heating rates are employed. Stirrer-crystallized samples treated with fuming nitric acid show higher crystalline contents. Comparison of their enthalpies of fusion and melting points indicate that higher molecular order along the fiber axis is associated with higher crystallization temperatures. This is in general agreement with corresponding results of other modes of crystallization. The attack of fuming nitric acid on stirrer crystals is characterized by weight-loss curves similar to those of dilutesolution crystals and bulk polyethylene. The linear molecular weight dependence on time of exposure to nitric acid suggests that the oxidation proceeds mainly from the chain ends at a constant rate for samples stirred in the lower crystallization range, but an increased rate is observed for a sample stirred from xylene at 105°C. It is suggested that the lamellar overgrowths, most evident at low crystallization temperatures, are epitaxially attached to the fiber axis, whereas the smaller crossbandings observed at higher crystallization temperatures are possibly made up of elements of chains that are only partly incorporated in the highly ordered fibrous core.     

Annealing during polymerization of crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Melt-crystallized poly(ethylene terephthalate) and etched oligomer lamellae from the same polymer have been annealed under vacuum at temperatures between 200 and 260°C and times between 3 and 48 hr. The annealed samples were analyzed through determination of viscosity-average molecular weight, x-ray low-angle spacing, density, heat of fusion, and variation of melting point with heating rate. In all cases it could be shown that the crystal lamellar surfaces remained chemically reactive. Chain folds and chain ends in the surface were converted by chemical reaction to tie molecules between different crystals or different locations on the same lamella.     

Towards understanding the increase in strength of thermotropic polyesters with heat treatment

Thermotropic copolyester fibers of oxynaphthoate and oxybenzoate have been subjected to conditions that promote solid-state polymerization as well as annealing. The annealing process causes the crystals to perfect with a simultaneous increase in heat of fusion and melting temperature. Solid-state polymerization, a reaction rate-controlled process, causes the polymer viscosity average molecular weight to increase by chain extension from about 14,000 g/mole to more than 87,000 g/mole with a simultaneous impressive increase in tenacity from about 10 g/d (1.2 GPa) to almost 30 g/d (3.7 GPa). To understand the changes in mechanical properties, we have modeled the fiber structure as short rod-like molecules poorly bonded to a continuous matrix of parallel molecules. Lengthening of the reinforcing molecules facilitates better transfer of load from matrix to molecules, resulting in higher tenacity fibers. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymerization of 2-azabicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-3-one and its copolymerization with 2-pyrrolidone

The anionic polymerization of a bridged bicyclic lactam, 2-azabicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-3-one (ABHO), was carried out in bulk and in solution under various reaction conditions. In general bulk polymerization of ABHO was superior to solution polymerization in conversion and degree of polymerization. The resulting polymer exhibited good thermal stability at temperatures up to 300°C. The melting point and decomposition temperature of this polyamide, poly(cyclopentane-1,3-diyliminocarbonyl), were about 307 and 335°C, respectively. Copolymerization of ABHO with 2-pyrrolidone was also made at 30°C and a varying weight percentage of ABHO with potassium pyrrolidonate as catalyst and CS₂ as activator. Copolyamides that contained 15 w % of ABHO decomposed at a temperature higher than the melting point by almost 30°C. Thus the thermal stability of copolymers compared with that of nylon-4, was greatly improved. Moisture sorptions of homopolymers and copolymers were always larger than those of other polyamides (nylon 4 and 6) at any relative humidity. Tenacity and elongation at the break of melt-spun fibers obtained from copolyamides that contained 15 w % of ABHO without the drawing and annealing process were 1.25 g/den and 13.1%, respectively.     

poly(4,4′-oxybibenzoate): Polymerization,morphology, transitions,and crystal structures

4-Acetoxy 4′-carboxy biphenyl has been polymerized from solution, the bulk melt, and in constrained thin films, all below the melting point of the monomer as measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). An isothermal sublimation–recrystallization–melting (and chemical change)–polymerization–crystallization process is proposed. From solution and in the thin films, single crystals consisting of ca. 100 Å thick lamellae are observed, with evidence for monomer addition–reaction on the end (top and bottom) surfaces. The bulk samples are fibrous, the “fibers” consisting of whisker-like single crystals. The polymer is highly heat and radiation (electron beam) resistant, with numerous successive electron diffraction (ED) patterns from the same crystal or sheared sample permitting comparison of the changes in ED patterns with transitions seen by DSC at ca. 350, 530, and 590°C. Phase I (a = 7.8, b = 5.5, c = 10.8 Å), a possible phase II (a = 15.6, b = 3.6 Å c = unknown), and a phase III (a = 9.0, b = 5.2 = √3a, c = 10.8 Å). Phases I and II are seen in samples polymerized at temperatures at and below 310°C; phase III is observed in samples polymerized at and above 350°C and in sheared samples. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride): Equilibrium melting point and heat of fusion of the α-polymorph

Samples of poly(vinylidene fluoride) were crystallized either (a) isothermally at a series of temperatures, or (b) in the presence of varying amounts of diluent (dimethylphthalate or dimethylacetamide). The α-polymorph was the only crystalline form present in these samples. Melting points of the first series (a) were determined by DSC and of the second (b) by dilatometry. The same equilibrium melting point for the α-polymorph (178°C) was obtained from analysis of the two sets of data. A value of 1425 cal mole^?1 (5.96 kJ mole^?1) for the heat of fusion of this polymorph was obtained from analysis of the polymer–diluent melting data. The heat of fusion and the entropy of fusion calculated therefrom correlated well with corresponding values for other fluoroethylene polymers. Thus, the equilibrium melting point and the heat of fusion could be predicted for a fluoropolymer for which data have not yet been reported–poly(trifluoroethylene). The melting point predicted, 222°C, agreed remarkably well with that determined here for an experimental sample, thereby lending support to the empirical correlations. The heat of fusion of poly(trifluoroethylene) is, therefore, expected to be approximately 1300 cal mole^?1.     

Large melting point depression of 2–3‐nm length‐scale nanocrystals formed by the self‐assembly of an associative polymer: Telechelic,pyrene‐labeled poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Large melting point depressions for organic nanocrystals, in comparison with those of the bulk, were observed in an associative polymer: telechelic, pyrene‐labeled poly(dimethylsiloxane) (Py‐PDMS‐Py). Nanocrystals formed within nanoaggregates of pyrenyl units that were immiscible in poly(dimethylsiloxane). For 5 and 7 kg/mol Py‐PDMS‐Py, physical gels resulted, with melting points exceeding 40 °C and with small‐angle X‐ray scattering peaks indicating that the crystals were nanoconfined, were 2–3 nm long, and contained roughly 18–30 pyrenyl dye end units. In contrast, 30 kg/mol Py‐PDMS‐PY was not a gel and exhibited no scattering peak at room temperature; however, after 12 h of annealing at ?5 °C, multiple melting peaks were present at 5–30 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3470–3475, 2004     

Drawing of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene single-crystal mats: The crystallinity

Single-crystal mats of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene can be drawn uniformly to high draw ratios, more than 20χ at the highest, after the necking process is completed. The dynamic mechanical modulus of the drawn mats increases markedly during the uniform drawing stage. The structural changes induced by the uniform drawing at 100°C have been followed by wide-angle and small-angle x-ray scattering, infrared absorption, differential scanning calorimetry, and birefringence. The crystallinity is estimated from the x-ray amorphous scattering intensity, the IR absorbance of gauche bands, the heat of fusion from DSC, and the density. The estimated crystallinities of the drawn mats are all very high and increase slightly and monotonically with increased drawing after necking, though the values of the crystallinity depend on the method of estimation. IR gauche bands and the SAXS peak due to the long period disappear at a draw ratio of about 80χ. All the results suggest that the uniform drawing after necking destroys the two-phase structure made up of alternately stacked crystalline and amorphous regions and then reorganizes it into a single-phase crystalline structure.