In this paper effect of molecular weight and of temperature of isothermal crystallization on the characteristics of the deformation and break-down of isotactic polypropylene spherulite was investigated over the range of temperature between -70°C and+145°C in connection with the mobility of polymeric chains in crystalline form and with macroscopic stretchability of films.
Two kinds of fractions of molecular weight of 2.64×10
5 and 1.03×10
6 were melted at 250_??_290°C, then, were isothermally crystallized at 120_??_150°C to get the well-developed spherulites. Film was stretched under the microscope.
Deformation and break-down process of spherulite were able to be phenomelogically classified into five peculiarities as follows: (1). Brittle break-down, (2). Fracture with the cleavage of interfacial boundary. (3). Break-down with necking. (4). Plastic deformation. (5). Large plastic deformation into fibrillike structure.
Comparing spherulites of different molecular weight which were crystallized under the same condition, the increase in molecular weight gave a tendency of occuring (4) and (5). Fractions of the occurrence of (4) and (5) within the total number of deformed or breaked-down spherulites increased with rising crystallization temperature for film of same molecular weight. Maximum frequency of occurrence of (5) was observed qualitatively at the dispersion temperature of crystalline part which was determined by the dynamic viscoelastic method. And at that temperature optimum stretchability was obtained. It became seen that at temperature below the dispersion temperature spherulite cannot undergo large deformation without destruction, and that there is actually much similiarity between polymers and metals in an enormous role of the properties and dimension of spherulite or crystal grain concerning to the character of displacemental deformation.
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