Lamellar crystalline structure of block copolymers with an amorphous and a crystallizable block: Effect of the nature of the crystallizable block

Abstract

AbstractBlock copolymers of styrene and ethylene oxide (SEO) and of styrene and ε‐caprolactone (SCL), in the dry state and in the presence of a preferential solvent of the amorphous block, exhibit a lamellar crystalline structure at temperatures below ≈50°C. In this structure the crystallized chains are folded in two superposed layers. To investigate the effect of the nature of the crystallizable block, two copolymers SEO and SCL of the same relative molecular mass and composition were studied by X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. It is established that the nature of the crystallizable block influences the crystallinity and the number of folds of the crystallized chains and the swelling of the amorphous polystyrene block.