Mechanical and Transport Properties of Poly(propylene-co-1-heptene) Copolymers and Their Dependence on Monoclinic and/or Mesomorphic Polymorphs Articles uri icon

publication date

  • February 2016

start page

  • 1347

end page

  • 1356

issue

  • 7

volume

  • 120

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1520-5207

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1520-6106

abstract

  • Poly(propylene-co-1-heptene) copolymers have been evaluated in a wide 1-heptene content range. Two different polymorphs can be observed in this interval under the processing conditions imposed: monoclinic crystallites and mesomorphic entities. The unique presence of one or the other lattice at specific content or the coexistence of both of them at the intermediate composition interval is a key factor affecting some of the exhibited properties. The influence is observed in characteristics mainly dependent on either crystalline structure, like rigidity, or the amorphous regions, as location and intensity of glass transition. To get a deeper understanding, the transition from mesophase to monoclinic crystallites has also been studied by DSC and by WAXS and SAXS experiments using synchrotron radiation. It is observed that this transformation is only partial and just involves one-third of the initial ordered mesomorphic entities. Permeability to different gases is mainly dependent on amorphous content and hindrance that monoclinic or mesomorphic entities impose on those disordered regions.

subjects

  • Chemistry
  • Materials science and engineering

keywords

  • crystals; melting; glass transition; copolymers; permeability