A novel β-nucleating agent for isotactic polypropylene

The nucleating ability of p-cyclohexylamide carboxybenzene (-NA) towards isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, polarized optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. -NA is identified to have dual nucleating ability for -iPP and -iPP under appropriate kinetic conditions. The formation of -iPP is dependent on the content of -NA. The content of -phase can reach as high as 96.96% with the addition of only 0.05 wt% -NA. Under non-isothermal crystallization the content of -iPP increases with increasing cooling rate. The maximum -crystal content is obtained at a cooling rate of 40 degrees C min1. The supermolecular structure of the -iPP is identified as a leaf-like transcrystalline structure with an ordered lamellae arrangement perpendicular to the special surface of -NA. Under isothermal crystallization -crystals can be formed in the temperature range 80140 degrees C. The content of -crystals reaches its maximum value at a crystallization temperature of 130 degrees C. (c) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry