Modelling of the x‐ray scattering of polymers by light diffraction

Abstract

AbstractThe x‐ray patterns of solid phase polymers are widely used to characterize the structures. They can be used, among others things, to calculate the degree of crystallinity, the crystalline particle size, and the lattice distortions. However, it is not perfectly clear how the characteristics of the structure effect the obtained diffractograms. The main aim of the present work is to explain what kind of diffraction patterns can be obtained from a hypothetical structure of a polymer. The effect of the following structural parameters were investigated: degree of crystallinity, crystalline particle size, lattice distortions of the first and second kind, and amorphous background. The changes of the diffraction patterns depending on these varied factors were followed.The light diffraction patterns were produced by a modified Schlieren 80 apparatus. The polymer segments were modelled by point‐like scattering centers. From these, the models of an ideal crystal and the lattice distortion of the first and second kind were prepared. The crystalline particle size was varied by cutting the original mask. In the amorphous background the minimum distances of two scattering centers were altered. The light diffraction patterns were produced also by rotating the mask, and the x‐ray diagram of the unoriented polycrystalline samples could be reproduced. The intensities of the obtained patterns were measured by a microdensitometer. With the help of the diagrams, both qualitative and quantitative conclusions can be obtained about the relation between the mask and its diffraction pattern.