Evaluation of the Equilibrium Melting Temperature and Melting Behavior of Poly(Phenylene Sulfide) Crystals.

Abstract

Focusing on the melting process of poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) crystals, one of the high-performance resins with a very wide range of applications, we attempted to clarify the melting process and derive the equilibrium melting temperature with structural analysis using X-ray scattering and thermal measurements. Two melting points were observed in the crystallized PPS films by DSC measurements. We focused on the low-temperature melting point, in situ small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements using synchrotron radiation and DSC thermograms indicate the melting of microcrystals because of thickening of the amorphous part from small-angle X-ray scattering results. In addition, the Hoffman-Weeks plot based on the results of fast scanning calorimetry showed that the melting temperature is almost parallel to the straight line where melting temperature and crystallization temperature are equal, indicating that the melting is of a metastable structure. The melting point on the high temperature side was attributed to the melting of lamellar crystals. The equilibrium melting point was derived from the Hoffman-Week and Gibbs-Thomson plots as 318 °C.