Infrared studies of the reversible stress-induced crystal-crystal phase transition of poly(tetramethylene terephthalate)

The reversible stress-induced crystal-crystal phase transition of poly(tetramethylene terephthalate) (PTMT) has been studied using infrared spectroscopy. Two spectral regions were used to study this transition: the 900–1000 cm^?1 methylene rocking region and the 1300–1550 cm^?1 methylene bending region. The bands at 917 and 1456 cm^?1 are assigned to the ∝ phase. The bands at 935 and 1388 cm^?1 have components from the α phase and the β phase. Dynamic stretching experiments performed above and below the glass-transition temperature indicated different mechanisms of the phase transition.