Study on Crystallization Behavior of Solid-Phase Graft Copolymers of Polypropylene with Maleic Anhydride and Methyl Methacrylate

Abstract

The isothermal crystallization behavior of neat polypropylene (PP) and solid-phase graft copolymers of PP with maleic anhydride and methyl methacrylate (PPMM) were compared by differential scanning calorimetry. The Avrami equation and Hoffman theory were applied to describe the isothermal crystallization kinetics. The results show that the fitted isothermal crystallization parameters are similar to the experimental data, and suggest that the Avrami equation is suitable to describe the isothermal crystallization process of PP and PPMM. The grafted side chains on PP can change the nucleation and growth of crystallization. They caused a decrease in the apparent crystallization activation energy and lateral surface free energy, and an increase in the nucleation rate. This was attributed to the grafted side chains not only acting as nucleating agent but also hindering the motion of the molecular chains and reducing the growing rate of crystallization.