Crystallization behaviors and morphology of novel poly(octamethylene adipate-co-octamethylene succinate) and poly(octamethylene adipate)

Abstract

Crystallization behaviors and morphology of novel biodegradable poly(octamethylene adipate-cooctamethylene succinate) (POAS) copolymers with different octamethylene succinate (OS) contents and their parent homopolymer poly(octamethylene adipate) (POA) were extensively investigated. Compared to POA, increasing the OS unit does not modify the crystal structures but slightly decreases the crystallinity values of POAS. The glass transition temperature values of POAS are greater than that of POA. Both the nonisothermal crystallization peak temperature and melting point temperature values of POAS decrease gradually with the increment of the OS unit. The overall isothermal melt crystallization rates of POAS decrease with increasing crystallization temperature and the OS content, while the crystallization mechanism does not change. The equilibrium melting point values of POAS are reduced with increasing the OS content, with respect to POA. The nucleation densities of POAS spherulites are reduce significantly; moreover, increasing crystallization temperature and the OS content reduces the spherulitic growth rates of POAS, relative to POA.