Evolution of density fluctuation to a lamellar crystal in a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) film revealed by the resonance light scattering technique.
The dynamic process of cold crystallization of amorphous poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) was investigated with resonance light scattering (RLS). By using an enhanced scattering peak at 329 nm, which was in close proximity to the absorption band of PTT film, density fluctuation due to gradual transition from amorphous to crystalline with increasing temperature was monitored. Accordingly, molecular chains movement and structure evolution in PTT during cold crystallization, in particular, the information about each phase of crystallization, including induction, nucleation, nucleus growth and secondary crystallization, were thoroughly revealed. The experimental results indicated that the kinetics parameters measured by the RLS method were in good agreement with those obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, the RLS method can tell more details of the movement and variation in fine structures than DSC and fluorescence techniques as a result of its significantly enhanced scattering signals, like the orientation fluctuations of rigid segments in the course of glass transition and crystallization induction.
Luo
Wei-Ang
WA
Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Polymer Composite and Functional Materials, DSAPM Lab, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Chen
Xudong
X
Liao
Zhengfu
Z
Yang
Jin
J
Mai
Kancheng
K
Zhang
Mingqiu
M