Application of SSA thermal fractionation and X‐ray diffraction to elucidate comonomer inclusion or exclusion from the crystalline phases in poly(butylene succinate‐ran‐butylene azelate) random copolymers. Issue 22 (6th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arandia, Idoia; Mugica, Agurtzane; Zubitur, Manuela; Iturrospe, Amaia; Arbe, Arantxa; Liu, Guoming; Wang, Dujin; Mincheva, Rosica; Dubois, Philippe; Müller, Alejandro J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of polymer science. Volume 54:Issue 22(2016)
• Page Start: 2346
• Page End: 2358
• Publication Date: 2016-08-06
• Subjects: comonomer inclusion -- crystallization -- isodimorphism -- poly (butylene succinate–ran–butylene azelate) random copolymers -- successive self‐nucleation and annealing; 547
• DOI: 10.1002/polb.24146
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6266

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Poly(butylene succinate‐ ran ‐butylene azelate) random copolyesters were thermally fractionated by successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA). The samples before and after SSA were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X‐ray diffraction (WAXS and SAXS). WAXS results indicate that a small degree of comonomer inclusion is present in the crystalline phases that are formed in the copolymers depending on composition: a PBS‐like unit cell or/and a PBAz‐like unit cell, thus confirming the isodimorphic behavior of the samples. SSA on the other hand demonstrated that the degree of comonomer exclusion during crystallization is far larger than comonomer inclusion, as judged by the increase in fractionation degree with compositions leading to the pseudo‐eutectic point. Furthermore, WAXS, SAXS, and SSA results show that the isodimorphic behavior is not highly dependent on kinetic factors, as the degree of comonomer inclusion or exclusion in the samples was not significantly altered by SSA thermal fractionation, a thermal treatment that promotes annealing and molecular segregation of defects to the amorphous regions of the material. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2016, 54, 2346–2358 Abstract : In isodimorphic random copolymers, two crystal structures are formed where each crystalline phase incorporates part of the corresponding minor component. This study uses the successive‐self nucleation and annealing (SSA) thermal fractionation method to elucidate comonomer inclusion or exclusion from crystalline phases in poly (butylene succinate‐ ran ‐butylene azelate).