Real time in situ X-ray diffraction studies on the melting memory effect in the crystallization of β-isotactic polypropylene

The melting memory effect during the crystallization and heating of semi-crystalline polymers was clearly demonstrated using beta -isotactic polypropylene (beta -iPP). Differential scanning calorimetry and real-time in situ X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron radiation source were employed to investigate the role of the newly formed alpha -form crystals via phase transformation from the metastable beta -form during the melting process, and to elucidate the memory effect of these new alpha -form. crystals during the crystallization process. The evolution of the memory effect in beta -iPP during the crystallization and melting processes is ideally based on the existence of locally ordered alpha -form in the melt. We monitored the role of this local order by preparing the melt state using a range of hold temperatures and hold times. It was found that the final melt temperature and hold time greatly affect the crystallization behavior during cooling and the phase transformation behavior during heating. Lower hold temperatures and shorter hold times lead to samples rich in alpha -modification, whereas longer hold times generate samples rich in beta -modification during crystallization. At higher hold temperatures even a short hold time is sufficient to destroy the local order in the melt, and the resulting sample exhibits more beta -modification. The results are explained on the basis of the existence of local order in the amorphous melt along with external nucleating agent during the crystallization process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.