Abstract
Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) with its unique spherulitic morphologies, highly birefringent features, and crystal stability serves as a good candidate to study polymer crystallization and assembly. This review compiles the main findings on crystallization in PTT, including birefringence and morphology, thermal behavior, as well as the interior structure of PTT banded spherulites, in order to elucidate the origin and formation mechanism of banded spherulites. Interior observation through the inner anatomy of crystal assembly in banded spherulites hidden under the top surface is necessary to provide a complete picture for the unsettled arguments about formation mechanism. Careful attention should be taken when selecting the etching agent for exposing the lamellar structure of polymer spherulite, otherwise, misinterpretation could result
Highlights
Research on poly(trimethylene terephthalate) has been rapidly growing since the recent technology development advancing the production of bio-based 1,3-propanediol (PDO)
Unlike poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) exhibits large and well-defined banded spherulites at a relatively fast crystallization time when melt-crystallized in a film [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
In this paper, the works on PTT crystallization, including its kinetics [10,11], intrinsic birefringence [12,13,14], as well as its spherulitic morphologies, its banded spherulite structures and formations [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9] are reviewed in order to provide insight into the real lamellar structures in banded spherulites crystallized from melting
Summary
Research on poly(trimethylene terephthalate) has been rapidly growing since the recent technology development advancing the production of bio-based 1,3-propanediol (PDO). Classical views on twisting were mainly based on the observation of thin films, except for Lustiger et al [25] who carried out preliminary work of dissecting the bulk specimen and exposed the three-dimensional (3-D) interior of banded spherulite of polyethylene They suggested that the special lamellar shapes are not necessarily intrinsic to the lamellar profile, but arise due to geometrical effects as the lamellae project onto the surface at various angles. Solid evidence of interior lamellar assembly in correspondence to optical band spacing, should be taken into account when discussing banded spherulites Various approaches such as the use of additional diluents (either amorphous or crystalline polymer) and/or etching agents have been conducted to enhance the contrast of the interior crystal arrangement. This mini review aims to compile the arguments on the origin and formation mechanism of PTT banded spherulites and to give insight on the issues in further depth
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