Flow-induced crystallization of propylene/ethylene random copolymers

The influence of the co-monomer content and processing conditions on the crystallization kinetics of propylene/ethylene (P/E) random copolymers is studied using DSC and rheometry. The presence of ethylene lowers the melting and crystallization temperature compared to pure polypropylene, and the quiescent crystallization rate, Chi increases at equal nominal undercooling, because both the crystal growth rate, G, and number of nuclei, N, increases. The effect of flow on the kinetics of crystallization decreases with the ethylene content. Still, different regimes of flow-induced crystallization are observed, but their size and the position of the transitions between them depend on the ethylene content, and can be expressed in terms of the level of molecular orientation, molecular stretch, and crystallization capacity of the system.