Abstract
Morphology and crystal orientation of poly (tetraoxane) (PTEOX) prepared by γ-ray induced polymeriza tion of tetraoxane (TEOX) single crystal were studied. The two-step postpolymerization process was applied and the polymer yield was high. The polymer yield is rather low at the first step postpolymerization, but it significantly increased at the second step because of the presence of PTEOX formed at the first step. The role of the resulting polymer can be considered to act as spatial guide or a substrate for epitaxial growth when the polymer chain grows. The extended chain crystal is always formed by this polymerization method and the lamellar crystal is formed at postpolymerization temperature above 80°C, while the subcrystal is formed below 90°C. Though all samples show net-like texture, most of the molecular chains orients along the fiber axis, impling that these polymers are composed of the so-called “shish kebab” structure.
