Growth morphology of isotactic polybutene-1

Isotactic polybutene-1 has been crystallized from solution by the film formation method. Well-defined single crystals have been grown from solutions of the polymer in amyl acetate and its mixtures with n-butanol in all the three modifications by varying the concentration and crystallization temperature. Multilayered orthorhombic, tetragonal and hexagonal crystals with spiral ramps and terraces have been obtained from concentrated solutions near the turbidity temperature. Rotation of the screw dislocation as well as interlacing multilayered growth have been observed in the tetragonal morphology. Different types of twinning are commonly observed in the orthorhombic and hexagonal modifications. It is suggested that (a) spiral ramps grow by the mechanism of screw dislocation, (b) terraced crystals grow by the mechanism of Frank-Read source or the basal lamellae being hairy on the molecular level nucleating the next lamella, (c) movement of screw dislocation is very common in the orthorhombic and hexagonal modifications, (d) the solution temperature does not affect the morphology but the solvent concentration and the crystallization temperature decide the growth habit of the single crystals and (e) the growth mechanism of multilayered crystals and twinning are similar to those of monomeric substances.