CO2‐delayed crystallization of isotactic polypropylene: A kinetic study

The effect of CO₂ on the nonisothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was studied with high‐pressure differential scanning calorimetry at cooling rates of 0.2–5 °C/min. CO₂ significantly delayed the melt crystallization of iPP, and both the crystallization temperature and the heat of crystallization decreased with increasing CO₂ pressure. The crystallization rate of iPP, as characterized by the half‐time, was also prolonged by the presence of CO₂. With a modified Ozawa model developed by Seo, the Avrami crystallization exponent n of iPP was calculated. This value was depressed by the addition of CO₂ and was strongly dependent on the CO₂ pressure at low cooling rates. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1518–1525, 2003     

Effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on the crystallization behavior of poly(ether ether ketone)

The supercritical CO₂ (sc‐CO₂) provided a moderate condition to make the amorphous CO₂/poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) mixtures at 30 MPa and 40 °C. The crystal is obtained directly after treating CO₂/PEEK mixture from 70 to 240 °C. The crystallization behavior of CO₂/PEEK mixtures before and after treatment is investigated in detail by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. DSC curves of CO₂/PEEK samples showed the double cold crystallization peaks. The lower cold crystallization peak moves to higher temperature with the content of CO₂ decreasing, and the higher cold crystallization peak keeps their temperatures at about 172 °C without a remarkable change. The dynamic mechanical spectrometry was also introduced to explain the relaxation behavior of the glass transition and crystallization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2927–2936, 2007     

Isothermal melt and cold crystallization kinetics of poly(aryl ether ketone ether ketone ketone)

The isothermal melt and cold crystallization kinetics of poly(aryl ether ketone ether ketone ketone) are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry over two temperature regions. The Avrami equation describes the primary stage of isothermal crystallization kinetics with the exponent n ≈ 2 for both melt and cold crystallization. With the Hoffman–Weeks method, the equilibrium melting point is estimated to be 406 °C. From the spherulitic growth equation proposed by Hoffman and Lauritzen, the nucleation parameter (K_g) of the isothermal melt and cold crystallization is estimated. In addition, the K_g value of the isothermal melt crystallization is compared to those of the other poly(aryl ether ketone)s. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1992–1997, 2000     

Poly(aryl ether)s containing o‐terphenyl subunits. II. Random poly(ether sulfone)s

The synthesis of a new A₂X‐type difluoride monomer, N‐2‐pyridyl‐4′,4″‐bis‐(4‐fluorobenzenesulfonyl)‐o‐terphenyl‐3,6‐dimethyl‐4,5‐dicarboxylic imide ( 3 ), is described. The monomer 3 was incorporated into a series of copoly(aryl ether sulfone)s by polymerization of 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol and 4,4′‐difluorophenylsulfone. The incorporation of monomer 3 had an observable effect on both the glass‐transition temperature of poly(aryl ether sulfone)s and the tendency for macrocyclic oligomers to form during polymerization. Replacement of the pyridyl imide group via a transimidization reaction with propargyl amine proceeded quantitatively and without polymer degradation. The acetylene containing copoly(aryl ether sulfone) could be crosslinked by simple thermal treatment, resulting in an increase in the glass‐transition temperature and solvent resistance. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 9–17, 2000     

Bio‐based aromatic copoly(ether ester)s with enhanced toughness and degradability: Influence of insertion of phenoxy‐ether linkage and eugenol‐derived composition on properties

Two series of renewable nipagin and eugenol‐based copoly(ether ester)s, PDN1_1?xE1_x and PDN1_1?xE2_x (x = 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%), were prepared in the melt with 1,10‐decanediol as a comonomer. The synthesized poly(ether ester)s have weight‐average molecular weights (M_w) in the range of 20,400–37,200 g mol^?1, and dispersity (D) values between 1.7 and 1.9. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) reveal that all the poly(ether ester)s exhibit a two‐step degradation mechanism with an initial degradation temperature above 350 °C. Results from differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WXRD) analyses demonstrate that the poly(ether ester)s are all semicrystalline materials with glass transition temperature (T_g) values ranging between ?21.3 and ?8.3 °C. The insertions of phenoxy‐ether linkage and eugenol‐derived composition have significant influence on the T_g, crystallinity, Young's modulus, and tensile strength, as well as the toughening effect and degradability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2171–2183     

Indentation of poly(methyl methacrylate) under high‐pressure gases

The variation of the indentation hardness of a high molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) subjected to CO₂ and Ar at high pressure was measured in situ. The samples were subjected to gas exposure for 3 h at 40 °C before a conical indenter of an included angle at 105 °, with a fixed load of 0.237 kg, was applied for a loading time of 60 s. The data show that both CO₂ and Ar reduce the hardness of PMMA to a comparable extent at low pressures. The hardness of PMMA subjected to Ar indicates a minimum at about 4 MPa and then increases. CO₂ produced a monotone decreasing trend in hardness in the pressure range studied, and the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) was achieved at about 6.0 MPa. The change in hardness is attributed to plasticization of the polymer matrix that is more extensive for CO₂. The relationship between the change in hardness for this PMMA subjected to high‐pressure CO₂, the corresponding change in the T_g, and the associated swelling of the polymer is discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 3020–3028, 2001     

Crystallization kinetics for low‐ether‐content polyether–polyester block copolymers with amide linkages

A series of low‐ether‐content polyether–polyester block copolymers with amide linkages were synthesized. Their crystallization kinetics and mechanisms were investigated. The crystallization kinetics were analyzed via Avrami treatment; an average value of 1.8 for the Avrami index was thus obtained. Athermal nucleation was evidenced by observations of a linear boundary between impinged spherulites under polarized light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The development of spherulitic morphology with a hedgehog texture was attributed to the mechanism of lamellar branching. On the basis of the morphological observations and Avrami analysis, a crystallization mechanism through a heterogeneous nucleation process with homogeneous lamellar branching was proposed. No regime transition was found for polyether–polyesters in the examined temperature ranges, and the crystallization was identified as regime I kinetics on the basis of a Lauritzen Z test. The copolymerization of poly(ether amide)s with polyesters led to a significant suppression of the crystallization rate of polyester crystals. The suppression was explained as the result of a dilution effect in nucleation combined with an increasing nucleation barrier. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2469–2480, 2001     

Living cationic polymerization of an azide‐containing vinyl ether toward addressable functionalization of polymers

We first achieved the living cationic polymerization of azide‐containing monomer, 2‐azidoethyl vinyl ether (AzVE), with SnCl₄ as a catalyst (activator) in conjunction with the HCl adduct of a vinyl ether [H‐CH₂CH(OR)‐Cl; R ? CH₂CH₂Cl, CH₂CH(CH₃)₂]. Despite the potentially poisoning azide group, the produced polymers possessed controlled molecular weights and fairly narrow distributions (M_w/M_n ～ 1.2) and gave block polymers with 2‐chloroethyl vinyl ether. The pendent azide groups are easily converted into various functional groups via mild and selective reactions, such as the Staudinger reduction and copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne 1,3‐cycloaddition (CuAAC; a “click” reaction). These reactions led to quantitative pendent functionalization into primary amine (? NH₂), hydroxy (? OH), and carboxyl (? COOH) groups, at room temperature and without any acidic or basic treatment. Thus, poly(AzVE) is a versatile precursor for a wide variety of functional vinyl ether polymers with well‐defined structures and molecular weights. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1449–1455, 2010     

Gas sorption and characterization of poly(ether‐b‐amide) segmented block copolymers

The solubilities of He, H₂, N₂, O₂, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, and n‐C₄H₁₀ were determined at 35°C and pressures up to 27 atmospheres in a systematic series of phase separated polyether–polyamide segmented block copolymers containing either poly(ethylene oxide) [PEO] or poly(tetramethylene oxide) [PTMEO] as the rubbery polyether phase and nylon 6 [PA6] or nylon 12 [PA12] as the hard polyamide phase. Sorption isotherms are linear for the least soluble gases (He, H₂, N₂, O₂, and CH₄), convex to the pressure axis for more soluble penetrants (CO₂, C₃H₈, and n‐C₄H₁₀) and slightly concave to the pressure axis for ethane. These polymers exhibit high CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/H₂ solubility selectivity. This property appears to derive mainly from high carbon dioxide solubility, which is ascribed to the strong affinity of the polar ether linkages for CO₂. As the amount of the polyether phase in the copolymers increases, gas solubility increases. The solubility of all gases is higher in polymers with less polar constituents, PTMEO and PA12, than in polymers with more polar PEO and PA6 units. CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/H₂ solubility selectivity, however, are higher in polymers with higher concentrations of polar repeat units. The sorption data are complemented with physical characterization (differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis, and wide angle X‐ray diffraction) of the various block copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2463–2475, 1999     

New light‐colored poly(ether imide)s based on 2,5‐di‐tert‐butylhydroquinone bis(ether anhydride) and aromatic diamines

A series of poly(ether imide)s (PEIs), III _a–k , with light color and good physical properties were prepared from 1,4‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxypheoxy)‐2,5‐di‐tert‐butylbenzene dianhydride ( I ) with various aromatic diamines ( II _a–k ) via a conventional two‐stage procedure that included a ring‐opening polyaddition to yield poly(amic acid)s (PAA), followed by thermal imidization to the PEI. The intermediate PAA had inherent viscosities in the range of 1.00–1.53 dL g^?1. Most of the PEIs showed excellent solubility in chlorinated solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, and m‐cresol, but did not easily dissolve in dimethyl sulfoxide and amide‐type polar solvents. The III series had tensile strengths of 96–116 MPa, an elongation at break of 7–8%, and initial moduli of 2.0–2.5 GPa. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) and softening temperatures (T_s's) of the III series were recorded between 232 and 285 °C and 216–279 °C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures for 10% weight loss all occurred above 511 °C in nitrogen and 487 °C in air. The III series showed low dielectric constants (2.71–3.54 at 1 MHz), low moisture absorption (0.18–0.66 wt %), and was light‐colored with a cutoff wavelength below 380 nm and a low yellow index (b^*) values of 7.3–14.8. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1270–1284, 2005     

Effect of shear on the crystallization of the poly(ether ether ketone)

The effect of shear on the crystallization behavior of the poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has been investigated by means of ex situ wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), small‐angle X‐ray scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The changes of the intensity of WAXD patterns along shear direction of the PEEK induced by short‐term shear were observed when the samples crystallized at 330 °C. The results showed that the dimensions of the crystallites perpendicular to the (110) and (111) planes reduced with the increase of shear rate, whereas the dimensions of the crystallites perpendicular to (200) plane increased with the increase of shear rate. Moreover, increasing shear rate can lead to the increase of the crystallinity as well as the average thickness of the crystalline layers. Correspondingly, a new melting peak at higher temperature was found during the subsequent DSC scanning when the shear rate was increased to 30 s^?1. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 220–225, 2010     

Synthesis and proton conductivities of phosphonic acid containing poly‐(arylene ether)s

A novel phosphonic acid containing bisphenol was successfully synthesized from phenolphthalein and m‐aminophenylphosphonic acid. A series of homo‐ and copoly‐(arylene ether)s containing phosphonic acid groups were prepared by solution nucleophilic polycondensation. These phosphonic acid containing polymers can readily be dissolved in common organic solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, and N‐cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, and can be cast into tough and smooth films. The presence of phosphonic acid pendants in the poly‐(arylene ether)s was confirmed by NMR, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, and conductivity measurements. This is the first report on the attachment of phenylphosphonic acid groups as side chains to aromatic polyethers. These poly‐(arylene ether)s had very high glass‐transition temperatures ranging from 254 to >315 °C and high molecular weights. The conductivities of the synthesized polymers were analyzed by the Cole–Cole method, and they ranged from 10^?5 to 10^?6 Scm^?1. The synthesized polymers also exhibited good solution processability. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3218–3226, 2001     

Synthesis of superparamagnetic and thermoresponsive hybrid nanoparticles via surface‐mediated RAFT polymerization of di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate and (oligoethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate

A reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent was directly anchored onto superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (SPNPs) in a simple procedure using a ligand exchange reaction of 2‐[(dodecylsulfanylcarbonylthiolsulfanyl) propionic acid] (DCPA) with oleic acid initially present on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The DCPA‐modified SPNPs were then used for the surface‐mediated RAFT polymerization of di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate and (oligoethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate to fabricate structurally well‐defined hybrid SPNPs with temperature‐responsive poly[di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate‐co‐(oligoethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate] shell and magnetic Fe₃O₄ core. Evidence of a well‐controlled surface‐mediated RAFT polymerization was gained from a linear increase of number‐average molecular weight with overall monomer conversions and relatively narrow polydispersity indices of the copolymers grown from the SPNPs. The resultant hybrid nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic property with a saturation magnetization of 55.1–19.4 emu/g and showed a temperature‐responsive phenomenon as the temperature changed between 25 and 40 ^°C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3420–3428     

Biodegradable poly(carbonate‐ether)s with thermoresponsive feature at body temperature

Novel biodegradable poly(carbonate‐ether)s (PCEs) with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at body temperature were synthesized by copolymerization of CO₂ and ethylene oxide (EO) under double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst. The PCEs showed carbonate unit (CU) content of 1.0–42.4 mol % and molecular weight of 2.7–247 kg/mol, which exhibited reversible thermoresponsive feature in deionized water with LCST in a broad window from 21.5 to 84.1 °C. The LCST was highly sensitive to the CU content and the molecular weight of PCEs, and it showed a linear relation with CU content for PCEs with similar molecular weight. In particular, aqueous solution of PCE with a 26.0 mol % of CU showed an LCST around 36.1 °C, which was very close to the body temperature. Interestingly, it was found that the phase transition behavior changed with PCE concentration. For PCE with M_n of 2.7 kg/mol and CU content of 30.0 mol %, the LCST increased from 21.5 to 36.7 °C when the PCE concentration changed from 10 to 1 g/L. Dynamic light scattering indicated that the phase transition was possibly due to a coil‐to‐globule transition. The thermoresponsive biodegradable PCE with LCST at body temperature is promising for biomedical applications, especially for in vivo applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Synthesis of poly(2‐furyloxirane) with high molecular weight and improved regioregularity using macrocyclic ether as a cocatalyst to potassium tert‐butoxide

2‐Furyloxirane (FO), a monomer usually obtained from a nonpetroleum route, was prepared from the epoxidation reaction of furfural and trimethylsulfonium chloride. About 200–300 g FO can be obtained in each preparation process. Although anionic polymerization of FO generally gives low‐ molecular‐weight polymers even after long periods of polymerization, the reaction was greatly improved when macrocyclic ether was used as a cocatalyst to potassium tert‐butoxide. When 18‐crown‐6 was used as a cocatalyst, poly(2‐furyloxirane) (PFO) with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 41.5 kg/mol and a polydispersity index of 1.3 was obtained at 94% yield after polymerization at 40 °C for 72 h. The PFO obtained contained a 61.7% head‐to‐tail (H‐T) structure in the absence of the macrocyclic ether, and it reached 70.6% when cryptand[2,2,2] was used as a cocatalyst. PFO with higher regioregular structures showed improved thermal properties. For PFO with M_n of around 20.0 kg/mol, its glass transition temperature (T_g) increased from ?3 to 6 °C when the H‐T content was increased from 61.7 to 70.6%. Raising the M_n of PFO also raised T_g. For PFO with 68.9% H‐T structure, its T_g could reach 7 °C when M_n was increased to 40 kg/mol. This study shows two effective ways to improve the thermal and mechanical performances of the polymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis of hydroxyl‐terminated poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert‐butyl groups and its use as a toughener for epoxy resins

Hydroxyl‐terminated poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert‐butyl groups (PEEKTOH) was synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone with tert‐butyl hydroquinone with potassium carbonate as a catalyst and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as a solvent. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin was toughened with PEEKTOHs having different molecular weights. The melt‐mixed binary blends were homogeneous and showed a single composition‐dependent glass‐transition temperature (T_g). Kelley–Bueche and Gordon–Taylor equations gave good correlation with the experimental T_g. Scanning electron microscopy studies of the cured blends revealed a two‐phase morphology. A sea‐island morphology in which the thermoplastic was dispersed in a continuous matrix of epoxy resin was observed. Phase separation occurred by a nucleation and growth mechanism. The dynamic mechanical spectrum of the blends gave two peaks corresponding to epoxy‐rich and thermoplastic‐rich phases. The T_g of the epoxy‐rich phase was lower than that of the unmodified epoxy resin, indicating the presence of dissolved PEEKTOH in the epoxy matrix. There was an increase in the tensile strength with the addition of PEEKTOH. The fracture toughness increased by 135% with the addition of high‐molecular‐weight PEEKTOH. The improvement in the fracture toughness was dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of the oligomers present in the blend. Fracture mechanisms such as crack path deflection, ductile tearing of the thermoplastic, and local plastic deformation of the matrix occurred in the blends. The thermal stability of the blends was not affected by blending with PEEKTOH. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 541–556, 2006     

Syntheses and properties of organosoluble poly(ether imide)s from 1,1‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane dianhydride and aromatic diamines

A bis(ether anhydride) monomer, 1,1‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane dianhydride ( IV‐A ), was synthesized from the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalodinitrile by the phenoxide ion of 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane ( I‐A ), followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and dehydration of the resulting bis(ether acid). A novel series of organosoluble poly(ether imide)s ( VI _a–i )(PEIs) bearing cyclohexylidene cardo groups was prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) IV‐A with various aromatic diamines V _a–i via a conventional two‐stage process. The PEIs had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.48–1.02 dL/g and afforded flexible and tough films by solution‐casting because of their good solubilities in organic solvents. Most PEIs showed yield points in the range of 89–102 MPa at stress‐strain curves and had tensile strengths of 78–103 MPa, elongations at breaks of 8–62%, and initial moduli of 1.8–2.2 GPa. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of these PEIs were recorded between 200–234 °C. Decomposition temperatures of 10% weight loss all occurred above 490 °C in both air and nitrogen atmospheres, and their residues were more than 43% at 800 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The cyclohexane cardo‐based PEIs exhibited relatively higher T_g's, better solubilities in organic solvents, and better tensile properties as compared with the corresponding Ultem® PEI system. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 788–799, 2001     

Living cationic polymerization of 2‐adamantyl vinyl ether

Living cationic polymerization of 2‐adamantyl vinyl ether (2‐vinyloxytricyclo[3.3.1.1]^3,7decane; 2‐AdVE) was achieved with the CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃/ethylaluminum sesquichloride/ethyl acetate [CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃/Et_1.5AlCl_1.5/CH₃COOEt] initiating system in toluene at 0 °C. The number‐average molecular weights (M_n's) of the obtained poly(2‐AdVE)s increased in direct proportion to monomer conversion and produced the polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) (M_w/M_n = ～1.1). When a second monomer feed was added to the almost polymerized reaction mixture, the added monomer was completely consumed and the M_n's of the polymers showed a direct increase against conversion of the added monomer. Block and statistical copolymerization of 2‐AdVE with n‐butyl vinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂ CH₂CH₂CH₃; NBVE) were possible via living process based on the same initiating system to give the corresponding copolymers with narrow MWDs. Grass transition temperature (T_g) and thermal decomposition temperature (T_d) of the poly(2‐AdVE) (e.g., M_n = 22,000, M_w/M_n = 1.17) were 178 and 323 °C, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1629–1637, 2008     

Synthesis of multiblock hyperbranched‐linear poly(ether sulfone) copolymers

Hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone) was prepared in the presence of an oligomeric linear poly(ether sulfone) to generate multiblock hyperbranched‐linear (LxHB) copolymers. The LxHB copolymers were prepared in a two‐step, one‐pot synthesis by first polymerizing AB monomer to generate a linear block of a desired molecular weight followed by addition of the AB₂ monomer in a large excess (19:1, AB₂:AB) to generate the hyperbranched block. NMR integration analysis indicates that AB₂:AB ratio is independent of the reaction time. Because the molecular weight still increases with reaction time, these results suggest that polymer growth continues after consumption of monomer by condensation into a multiblock architecture. The LxHB poly(ether sulfone)s have better thermal stability (10% mass loss > 343 vs. 317 °C) and lower T_g (200 vs. > 250 °C) than the hyperbranched homopolymer, higher T_g than the linear homopolymer (<154 °C), while little difference in the solubility character was observed between the two polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4785–4793, 2008     

Effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on the crystallization and melting behavior of linear bisphenol A polycarbonate

The crystallization and melting behavior of bisphenol A polycarbonate treated with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been investigated with differential scanning calorimetry. Supercritical CO₂ depresses the crystallization temperature (T_c) of polycarbonate (PC). The lower melting point of PC crystals increase nonlinearly with increasing treatment temperature. This indicates that the depression of T_c is not a constant at the same pressure. T_c decreases faster at a higher treatment temperature than at a lower temperature. The leveling off of the depression in T_c at higher pressures is due to the antiplasticization effect of the hydrostatic pressure of CO₂. The melting curves of PC show two melting endotherms. The lower melting peak moves to a higher temperature with increasing treatment temperature, pressure, and time. The higher temperature peak moves toward a higher temperature as the treatment temperature is increased, whereas this peak is independent of the treatment pressure, time, and heating rate. The double melting peaks observed for PC can be attributed to the melting of crystals with different stability mechanisms. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 280–285, 2004