| Abstract: | Electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction data have been obtained on nylon 12 crystallized from 1-hexanol, 1,6-hexanediol, and hexylene glycol. Ribbonlike lamellar crystals of the γ form are obtained by crystallization from all the solutions and elongated flat crystals of the α form by crystallization from the 1-hexanol and hexylene glycol solutions. The direction of the hydrogen bond in these crystals is almost parallel to that of maximum crystal elongation. α- and γ-form crystals both grow from 1-hexanol and hexylene glycol at appropriate crystallization temperatures. γ-form crystals alone are obtained from 1,6-hexanediol solution at every crystallization temperature. The long periods measured by small-angle x-ray diffraction for the solution-grown crystals are in the range 7.6–10.6 nm. The melting behavior of the solution-grown crystals is examined and discussed. The melting temperatures of the γ form may be lower than that of the α form. An equilibrium melting temperature of 208.4°C for γ-form crystals is obtained by using a relation between thickness of lamellar crystals and their melting temperatures observed by differential scanning calorimeter measurements. Solvents affect the growth of the two crystalline forms in solution crystallization. |
