Polymer, Vol.35, No.7, 1352-1358, 1994
Simultaneous Saxs Waxs and DSC Analysis of the Melting and Recrystallization Behavior of Quenched Polypropylene
The behaviour of a quenched ethylene-propylene block copolymer cast film has been investigated during melting and recrystallization experiments carried out at heating and cooling rates of 10-degrees-C min-1. The experimental techniques used to follow the melting and recrystallization processes were differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) and simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). In particular, the WAXS results show that the melting of the material is preceded by a solid-state transition involving transformation of the quenched structure into the monoclinic alpha modification. This transition appears as an exotherm in the range 65-120-degrees-C on the d.s.c. melting trace. SAXS results show that an increase in the amount of long-range order occurs during this transition. The sample was then found to melt at 162-degrees-C. Upon cooling from the melt, recrystallization of the monoclinic alpha modification was found to occur in the range 123-105-degrees-C without any apparent prior formation of the quenched structure.
Keywords:ISOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE