Structure and properties of injection-molded polypropylenes with different molecular weight distribution and tacticity characteristics

Two series of polypropylenes with different molecular weight distribution and tacticity characteristics were injection molded into flexural test specimens by varying cylinder temperature and the effects of the molecular weight distribution and tacticity on the structure and properties of the moldings were studied. Measured propertied were flexural modulus, flexural strength, heat distortion temperature, Izod impact strength, and mold shrinkage and structures studied were crystallinity, the thickness of skin layer, a*-axis-oriented component fraction and crystalline orientation functions. The relations between the structures and properties were also studied. It was found that the molecular weight distribution and tacticity characteristics affect the properties mainly through the molecular orientation and crystallinity, respectively. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.