Macromolecular conformation, crystallisation and polymer properties

The conformation of a polymer is defined as a statistical chain owing to the possibility of rotation aronnd the simple carbon-carbon bond (-C-C-). The enormons nnmber of possible conformations is reduced by steric impediments. However, the strnctnre of a polymer is similar to a filament hank known as random coil (Figs 2.15 and 2.16) (Gedde, 1995). In the melted and solid amorphons (or glass-like) state, the macromolecular conformation of 

15 Random coil conformation for linear amorphous polymers (single molecule). 

The mechanical properties of amorphous polymers are determined by two fundamental parameters  

Analysis by X-ray scattering shows that there are no complete ordered strnctures for crystalline polymers fusion usually occurs inside an interval of temperature (Ward and Sweeney, 2004). 

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