Time-Resolving Study of Stress-Induced Transformations of Isotactic Polypropylene through Wide Angle X-ray Scattering Measurements

The development of a highly oriented fiber morphology by effect of tensile deformation of stereodefective isotactic polypropylene (iPP) samples, starting from the unoriented γ form, is studied by following the transformation in real time during stretching through wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Finizia Auriemma, Claudio De Rosa, Rocco Di Girolamo, Anna Malafronte, Miriam Scoti, Geoffrey Robert Mitchell, Simona Esposito
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/10/2/162
Description
Summary:The development of a highly oriented fiber morphology by effect of tensile deformation of stereodefective isotactic polypropylene (iPP) samples, starting from the unoriented γ form, is studied by following the transformation in real time during stretching through wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. In the stretching process, after yielding, the initial γ form transforms into the mesomorphic form of iPP through mechanical melting and re-crystallization. The analysis of the scattering invariant measured in the WAXS region highlights that the size of the mesomorphic domains included in the well oriented fiber morphology obtained at high deformations increases through a process which involves the coalescence of the small fragments formed by effect of tensile stress during lamellar destruction with the domain of higher dimensions.
ISSN:2073-4360