Polymer crystallization orientation

Lin MC, Nandan B, Chen HL. Mediating polymer crystal orientation nsing nanotemplates from block copolymer microdomains and anodic aluminum oxide nanochannels. Soft Matter 2012 8 7306-7322. 

Snetivy D and Vancso G J 1994 Atomic force microscopy of polymer crystals 7. Chain packing, disorder and imaging of methyl groups in oriented isotactic polypropylene Po/yme/ 35 461... 

SIMS, and SNMS in rare cases, such as for HgCdJTei samples or some polymers, the sample structure can be modified by the incident ion beam. These effects can often be eliminated or minimized by limitii the total number of particles incident on the sample, increasing the analytical area, or by cooling the sample. Also, if channeling of the ion beam occurs in a crystal sample, this must be included in the data analysis or serious inaccuracies can result. To avoid unwanted channelii, samples are often manipulated during the analysis to present an average or random crystal orientation. 

The most widely used method for preparing extended-chain crystals involves solid-phase polymerization when the monomer exists as a single crystal. The polymerization of single crystals of the monomer permits the preparation of a polymer material with a maximum orientation a polymeric single crystal composed of fully extended macromolecules. Such polymer crystals are needle-shaped22. ... 

Similarly, oriented crystallisation can be induced by stretching sheets or films of polymers in two directions simultaneously. The resulting materials have biaxially oriented polymer crystals. Typical examples of such materials are biaxially stretched poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(vinylidene chloride), and poly (propylene). Since the oriented crystals do not interfere with light waves, such films combine good strength with high clarity, which makes them attractive in a number of applications. 

Heterogeneous nucleation of polymer crystallization resembling a visualized metaphor compare the way meat is prepared in an oriental way shish - kebab. 

Electro-optic materials can be made using liquid crystal polymer combinations. In these applications, termed polymer-stabilized liquid crystals [83,86], the hquid crystal is not removed after polymerization of the monomer and the resulting polymer network stabilizes the liquid crystal orientation. 

Corvazier, L Zhao, Y, Induction of Liquid Crystal Orientation through Azobenzene-Containing Polymer Networks, Macromolecules 32, 3195, 1999. 

One of the most remarkable features of polymer crystallization is that such chain molecules can form lamellar crystals that contain heavily folded polymer chains. In experiments, the structural analysis of these lamellar crystals became possible when polyethylene single crystals were first prepared from a solution [100-102]. It was found that the orientation of the polymer chains... 

Finally, we were led to the last stage of research where we treated the crystallization from the melt in multiple chain systems [22-24]. In most cases, we considered relatively short chains made of 100 beads they were designed to be mobile and slightly stiff to accelerate crystallization. We could then observe the steady-state growth of chain-folded lamellae, and we discussed the growth rate vs. crystallization temperature. We also examined the molecular trajectories at the growth front. In addition, we also studied the spontaneous formation of fiber structures from an oriented amorphous state [25]. In this chapter of the book, we review our researches, which have been performed over the last seven years. We want to emphasize the potential power of the molecular simulation in the studies of polymer crystallization. 

With decreasing temperature, the density oscillation becomes very pronounced and grows into a deeper melt region. At 300 K, for example, we can see at least 5 layers after 1.28 ns. Within the layers, as will be shown later, definite order in chain orientation and chain packing is observed suggesting the growth of polymer crystals. 

Polymer crystallization under flow or under highly oriented states is of prime importance in industrial polymer processing. We expected that the crystallization would be highly accelerated when the initial amorphous chains were highly orientated. Therefore, we dared to use a realistic molecular model of... 

We note here that all the information presently available on high molecular weight polymer crystal structures is compatible with the bundle model. While very nearly all crystalline polymer polymorphs involve all-parallel chain arrangements, even the only known exception, namely y-iPP [104,105], where chains oriented at 80° to each other coexist, is characterized by bilayers of parallel chains with opposite orientation. This structure is thus easily compatible with crystallization mechanisms involving deposition of bundles of 5-10 antiparallel stems on the growing crystal surface. Also the preferred growth... 

Fig. 31 Structural formation model for the initial stage of polymer crystallization [19], N G nucleation and growth of oriented domains, SD spinodal decomposition into oriented and unoriented domains, Tb, Ts, and Tx bimodal, spinodal, and crystallization temperatures, respectively I isotropic, N smectic, and C crystalline...

The examples of polymer crystal structures shown in the previous sections are ideal structures, which can be described with the traditional concepts of the principles of equivalence and close packing or the new concepts of symmetry breaking146 and frustration.154 The models of perfect crystals are characterized by a long-range positional order for all the atoms (disregarding thermal motion). The X-ray diffraction patterns of such crystals, oriented with the chain axes along one direction (as in oriented fibers), present sharp reflections organized in layer lines. 

Figure 11.16 PTT WAXD pattern and indices of the reflections [45]. From Polym. Bull., Crystal orientation function of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, Chuah, H. H. and Chang, B. T. A., 46, p. 310, Figure 2, Copyright Springer-Verlag (2001). Reproduced by permission of Springer-Verlag GmbH Co. KG...

---