| Abstract: | Differential thermal analysis and electron microscopy of partially molten, extended-chain polyethylene crystals, grown under elevated pressure, was performed. It could be shown that melting peaks on the low temperature side of the main melting peak are due to narrowly distributed, low molecular weight polymer segregated in extended-chain crystals. Superheating of crystals before melting increased with molecular weight and chain extension. The melting mechanism of extended chain crystals was shown to be a successive peeling off of chains which leaves the chain extension constant up to melting of the last crystal trace. |
