Crystallization behavior of polycaprolactone/babassu compounds

Abstract

Polycaprolactone/babassu compounds were prepared in a laboratory internal mixer, their melt crystallization behavior was investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter, and their kinetics was correlated using the Pseudo-Avrami model, with cooling rates ranging from 2.5 to 15 °C min−1. Babassu filler did not affect significantly crystallization parameters, with maximum differences of 1.2 K in temperature and 3% in crystallinity, within experimental uncertainty. Regarding Pseudo-Avrami parameters, data were correlated for the interval 5–95% conversion, which seems to be appropriate for processing applications; the uncertainty associated with Pseudo-Avrami individual parameters is less than 1%, whereas the “rate parameter” K was found to be well represented by a quadratic function.