Kinetics of melting and characterization of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of syndiotactic polystyrene |
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| Authors: | A Sorrentino R Pantani G Titomanlio |
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| Institution: | 1. Chemical and Food Engineering Department, University of Salerno, Via Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), ItalyChemical and Food Engineering Department, University of Salerno, Via Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy;2. Chemical and Food Engineering Department, University of Salerno, Via Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy |
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| Abstract: | A study of the crystallization process of syndiotactic polystyrene is carried out, with particular emphasis on the effect of previous melt annealing on the subsequent crystallization kinetics and polymorphism, with a combination of thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. An effort is made to obtain quantitative results in terms of the relative crystallinity content of the α and β phases after a given thermal treatment. A kinetics of melting for the crystalline memory is proposed, which enables the determination of the time at a given temperature that ensures the complete fusion of the α crystals. This leads to a generalization of the effects of the time–temperature couple on the memory effect. A particular protocol is identified, which upon solidification from the melt induces the development of just one crystalline phase, either α or β. This allows the determination of the enthalpy of crystallization, the maximum attainable crystal volume fraction, the crystallization half‐time as a function of temperature, and the Avrami index for each of the two crystalline phases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 196–207, 2007 |
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| Keywords: | crystallization melting point morphology polymorphism thermal properties |
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