Structural implications on positron lifetimes in lamellar polyethylene with chain defects

Abstract

New positron lifetime data in a series of isothermally crystallized polyethylene pairs with known concentrations of chain defects, having a lamellar structure, have been measured. The materials were characterized by small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering techniques. Positron lifetime data were computer analyzed and only three components could be resolved. It is shown that the annihilation mechanisms can be understood in terms of average distance between lamellar crystals (long period), crystal thickness, and chain defect concentration. The present results confirm, in consonance with the conclusions of other authors, the longest component to be due to ortho-positronium pick-off annihilation. The intermediate component may be ascribed to positronium trapped at the crystal-amorphous interface. The application of a three-state trapping model yields a lifetime of about 900 ps for this state. It is suggested that the shortest component may be due to free positron annihilation, para-positronium self-annihilation, and annihilation of positrons from a tightly bound state localized at the chain defects. An approximate calculation provides lifetime values around 250 ps for this short-lived state.