Influences of Molecular Structure on the Non-Isothermal Crystallization Behavior of β-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene

Abstract

In order to explore the effect of molecular structure on the crystallization and polymorphic behavior of β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene (β-iPP), four commercial iPP samples with different average isotacticities, molecular weights and isotactic distributions were used. The relationship between the molecular structure characteristics and β-crystallization behavior were investigated by means of xylene solvent fractionation (XS), successive self-nucleation and annealing fractionation (SSA), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (13C NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), melt index (MI) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results of molecular structure characterization revealed that their isotacticity can be ranged as F401 > 5014L > F03G ≈ T38F, while the order of their isotactic distribution width is 5014L ≈ T38F > F401 ≈ F03G. Results of crystallization kinetics revealed that the molecular weight of the samples has little effect on their crystallization and polymorphic behavior. Meanwhile, crystallization activation energy Ec can be ranged as 5014L < F401 < F03G < T38F, indicating that when the molecular weight was above a certain degree, the isotacticity is the main factor affecting the crystallization ability of β-type iPP (β-iPP). The higher the isotacticity and the wider the distribution is, the stronger the β-crystallization ability is. Moreover, the β-crystallization ability of the samples is closely related to the isotacticity of the sample, which can be effectively controlled by tuning the fraction of high isotacticity with high molecular weight components.