Crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of copolymers of isotactic poly(1-butene) with 1-octene from metallocene catalysts

Abstract

The crystallization behavior and the mechanical properties of random isotactic butene–octene copolymers (iPBC8) prepared with a metallocene catalyst are presented. Samples with low octene concentrations, up to nearly 6 mol%, crystallize from the melt in form II. In these samples octene units stabilize the tetragonal form II, decelerating or even preventing the transformation of form II into the trigonal form I. Octene concentrations higher than 7 mol% prevent crystallization of the samples from the melt and the obtained amorphous samples crystallize by aging at room temperature in mixtures of form II and form I'. The sample with the highest octene concentration of 11.5 mol% crystallizes surprisingly from the amorphous phase directly in the pure form I'. In these samples, form I' crystallized from the amorphous phase transforms into form II by stretching. Form II transforms back into form I' upon releasing the tension. Therefore, in samples where form I' is favored in powder samples, form II is favored in stretched fibers. The transformation of form I into form II by stretching and the back transformation of form II into form I after releasing the tension is unusual for isotactic polybutene (iPB) and rather unexpected. The presence of octene comonomer units also affects the mechanical behavior of iPB and produces increase of flexibility and ductility with increasing comonomer content, and samples with octene concentration higher than 6–7 mol% show unexpected remarkable elastomeric properties. The formation of crystals of form II or form I' during aging allows development of elastomeric properties and enhancement of mechanical strength. The elastic properties are associated to the reversible crystal–crystal phase transition between form II and form I occurring during stretching and when the tension is removed.