Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.121, No.6, 3635-3640, 2011
The Mechanism and Energy of Activation of the Melting of Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) with and Without Prior Treatment with Span 80
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to determine the energy of activation and melting mechanism of PCL and of mixtures of PCL with the surfactant Span 80. The melting of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) follows a nucleation and growth model with an Avrami exponent of 4. Addition of Span 80 reduces the energy of activation of this process. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 36353640, 2011