Mesophase features in isotactic poly(propylene-co-1-heptene) copolymers Articles uri icon

authors

publication date

  • May 2016

start page

  • 596

end page

  • 604

issue

  • 5

volume

  • 65

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0959-8103

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1097-0126

abstract

  • The influence of crystallization rate on the interesting polymorphism of random isotactic poly(propylene-co-1-heptene) copolymers was studied, with particular attention to the conditions for obtaining the mesomorphic phase. Owing to the important decrease of cooling rate involved as the 1-heptene content increases, the mesophase can be clearly observed by DSC for co-unit contents above about 5 mol%. Furthermore, only the mesophase (or the amorphous phase) was found for the copolymer with 13.9 mol% 1-heptene at common cooling rates of the calorimeter. Additionally, the copolymer with 21.4 mol% co-units was found to be completely amorphous under any thermal treatment analyzed. Variable-temperature diffraction experiments were carried out to ascertain unambiguously the nature of the phases involved. Finally, a remarkable transparency was attained (above 80% transmittance in the visible light region) at intermediate and high 1-heptene contents, using easily accessible cooling rates.

subjects

  • Chemistry
  • Materials science and engineering

keywords

  • propylene-co-1-heptene copolymers; polymorphism; mesophase formation; dsc study; variable-temperature diffraction experiments; transparency