This paper studies the formation and evolution of phase structure of isotactic polypropylene/poly(cis-1,4-butadiene) (iPP/PcBR) blends during molten and mixing in a visual mixer by on-line analysis of the small angle light back scattering. The density fluctuation of iPP/PcBR blends during molten and mixing is discussed using the integral-intensity Js, of the scattering intensity of the blends. The "invariant" Q, which shows fluctuation of the system, is calculated by data of the small angle light back scattering, and the variation of Q with the blending time, temperature and shear rate during molten and mixing in iPP/PcBR blends is discussed. The structure parameters which characterize dimensions of phase in the blends, as the correlation distance ac, and the average chord lengths of two-phase, as li PP and lP cBR, are calculated by data of scattering intensity. The average diameters dp of dispersed phases are calculated from SEM images. The variation of ac, dp, li PP and lP cBR with the blending time and compositions in the blends during molten and mixing is discussed. The scale law is analyzed to find multi-scale characteristics in this system. The generalized fractal dimension Dp is calculated and the relation of Dp with generalized entropy function is discussed to determine that Dp is state function and the physical significance of Dp is the same as that of the generalized entropy function.
The compatibility between isotactic polypropylene(i PP) and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer(EPDM) in the blends was studied. SAXS analysis indicates that i PP and EPDM phases in the binary blend are incompatible. Isothermal crystallization behaviors of i PP in phase-separated i PP/EPDM were studied by in situ POM equipped with a Linkam shear hot stage. It was found that typical spherulites of i PP were formed both in neat i PP and in i PP/EPDM blends. The radial growth rate(d R/dt) of spherulites of i PP in the blend was not influenced by EPDM phases. Further investigations on isothermal crystallization of i PP in i PP/EPDM after shear with a fixed shear time showed that the crystallization rate of i PP in the blends increased with increasing shear rates, whereas, the crystallization rate was much lower than that of neat i PP. WAXD results showed that ?-crystal i PP was formed in neat i PP as well as in i PP/EPDM blends after shearing and the percentage of ?-crystal bore a relationship to the applied shear rate. The presence of EPDM resulted in lower percentage of ?-crystal in the blends than that in neat i PP under the same constant shear conditions. SAXS experiments revealed that shear flow could induce formation of oriented lamellae in i PP and i PP in the blends, and the presence of EPDM led to a reduced fraction of oriented lamellae.
Flow-induced preordering or precursor(FIP) has been studied in a series of lightly cross-linked high-density polyethylene with a combination of extensional rheology and in situ synchrotron radiation small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction(WAXD) measurements. Based on the incipient strains of SAXS and WAXD signals during extension in a large temperature range, strain-temperature diagrams for flow-induced preordering and nucleation were constructed and revealed that flow-induced crystallization(FIC) undergoes two stages: melt-precursor transition(MPT) and precursor-nuclei transition(PNT). At different temperatures, FIP with different inner structures and morphologies can be induced by strain; these embryos have shape and structure that are related to those of the corresponding critical nuclei. With the strain-temperature diagrams, the thermodynamic properties of FIP are deduced, which shows that compared with the relative nuclei the FIP always has a lower bulk free energy(?H) and a much lower surface free energy(?e). In extreme cases(high temperature), the ?e of FIP can be negligible. The quantitative estimation of the thermodynamic parameters suggests the existence of variant FIPs, which plays a vital role for the subsequent progress of PNT and the whole process of FIC.
Dong LiuKunpeng CuiNingdong HuangZhen WangLiangbin Li
