Structural analysis of PEKEKK(T/I) using WAXD, imaging plates and SAXS

Structures and crystal form transition of the novel aryl ether ketone polymer containing meta-phenylene linkage: PEKEKK(T/I) were investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), imaging plates (IPs) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The energy of activation of the decomposition reaction and degree of crystallinity of PEKEKK(T/I) were determined by WAXD and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Results obtained from WAXD and IPs show that crystal forms I and II coexist in the PEKEKK(T/I) samples isothermally cold crystallized in the temperature range from 180degreesC to 240degreesC and only form I occurs in PEKEKK(T/I) samples isothermally cold crystallized at 270degreesC. The radius of gyration (Rg), thickness of microregions with electron-density fluctuations (E) and distribution of particle sizes were investigated by SAXS.

Microstructure analysis of nylon 66 by WAXD and SAXS

The analysis of the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data was based upon particle characteristic function, one-dimensional electron-density correlation function and particle distribution function. The microstructure of nylon 66 with different degrees of crystallinity was studied by means of X-ray scattering method. The radius of gyration R-g, the Porod radius R-p, the thickness of crystalline region L-c the thickness of non-crystalline region L-n, the thickness of interphase region d(tr), the long period L, the semiaxises of particles (a, a, b), the distribution of the particle sizes and the scattering invariant were calculated. The results indicate that there was a significant interphase region between the crystalline region and the non-crystalline region. and its content (W-t,W-x) should not be neglected in comparison with that of crystalline region W-c,W-x. The morphology of nylon 66 prepared by isothermal crystallization at a high temperature was mainly a lamellar structure, while the spherical crystals dominated in the quenched sample. The size of the particles in the quenched sample was smaller than that of those in the isothermally crystallized sample. and the distribution of the particle sizes in the isothermally crystallized sample was wider.

Crystal transformation of Nylon 11 using in situ WAXD

alpha Form Nylon 11 films were found to exist a non-linear transformation at 70 degrees C during the heating process using in situ WAXD. The alpha Form disappeared but delta Form appeared when the temperature was higher 70 degrees C.

WAXD and SAXS study on gamma-radiation damage to polyamide-1010 crystal structure

In the present work we attempt to settle the controversy on the district wherein the radiation induced reaction preferentially occurs through examining the structural changes of the irradiated polyamide-1010 specimens on both the crystallographic and the supermolecular level by using WAXD and SAXS techniques. Experimental results indicated that the chain crosslinking and scission of the irradiated specimens occur mainly in the amorphous region and on the crystal surface (or interphase), and extend into the inner portion of the crystal with increasing radiation dose.

Crystal structure of the blend of polyamide 1010 with a bismaleimide by WAXD and SAXS

The blend polyamide 1010/N,N'-(diphenylmethane-4,4'-diyl)bismaleimide (PA1010/ BMI) has been investigated by means of WAXD and SAXS. The results obtained with the help of the Ruland, variance and 1D EDCF analysis showed that the degree of crystallinity (W-c,W-x), crystallite size (L(hikl)), long period (L) and thickness of average crystal lamellae (d) decrease with BMI content. Experimental and calculated density values (rho(c)) are in good agreement. Addition of BMT to PA1010 causes an increase in structural distortion. The results from SAXS analysis also supported that a crystalline amorphous interphase exists in the lamellae of semicrystalline polymers, so that a three-phase model instead of the traditional two-phase model should be used.

热致液晶聚酯酰亚胺的WAXD研究

采用Ｘ射线衍射仪、示差扫描热分析仪及偏光显微镜对热致液晶聚酯酰亚胺进行了研究。ＤＳＣ曲线上都有明显的玻璃化转变（Ｔ＿ｇ）及两个熔融峰（Ｔ＿（ｍ１）、Ｔ＿（ｍ２）），表明聚合物具有明显的液晶性；ＷＡＸＤ曲线上在２θ＝２０°左右可观察到较强的衍射峰，在２θ＜１３°的小角范围内也可观察到多个比较尖锐的衍射峰，前者表明分子链横向排列，间距在４．５～５Ａ，后者表明聚合物分子径向采取较完美的层状超分子结构顺序排列，以上结果证实了共聚物是近晶型结构；偏光显微镜下观察到了棒状或小锥状的近晶型液晶的典型织构，进一步支持了ＷＡＸＤ所得结论。

用WAXD和SAXS研究辐照聚酰胺1010结构

用ＷＡＸＤ和ＳＡＸＳ方法研究了聚酰胺１０１０的聚集态结构和结晶结构的辐射损伤过程和机理。辐射交联与裂解主要在非晶区和结晶表面或中间相发生；辐射损伤并从这里开始，随辐射剂量增大，非晶化逐渐向晶区伸展，有氢键的（０１０）晶面损伤几率高于（１００）晶面；辐射后效应导致新的交联与裂解生成，主要影响（０１０）晶面的形成与完善，使Ｌ１００及Ｗｃ变小。

Preparation, Structural, and Electrical Studies of Polyaniline/ZnFe2O4 Nanocomposites

Polyaniline/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple and inexpensive one-step in situ polymerization method in the presence of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The structural, morphological, and electrical properties of the samples were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). WAXD and SEM revealed the formation of polyaniline/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites. Infrared spectroscopy indicated that there was some interaction between the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles and polyaniline. The dc electrical conductivity measurements were carried in the temperature range of 80 to 300 K. With increase in the doping concentration of ZnFe2O4, the conductivity of the nanocomposites found to be decreasing from 5.15 to 0.92 Scm(-1) and the temperature dependent resistivity follows ln rho(T) similar to T-1/2 behavior. The nanocomposites (80 wt % of ZnFe2O4) show a more negative magnetoresistance compared with that of pure polyaniline (PANI). These results suggest that the interaction between the polymer matrix PANI and zinc nanoparticles take place in these nanocomposites. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2856-2862, 2011

Cooperativity and Structural Relaxations in PVDF/PMMA Blends in the Presence of MWNTs: An Assessment through SAXS and Dielectric Spectroscopy

Intermolecular cooperativity and structural relaxations in PVDF/PMMA blends were studied in this work with respect to different surface modified (amine, similar to NH2; carboxyl acid, similar to COOH and pristine) multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs) at 1 wt % near blend's T-g and in the vicinity of demixing using dielectric spectroscopy, SAXS, DSC, and WAXD. Intermolecular cooperativity at T-g and configurational entropy was addressed in the framework of cooperative rearranging region (CRR) at T-g. Because of specific interactions between PVDF and NH2-MWNTs, the local composition fluctuates at its average value resulting in a broad T-g. The scale of cooperativity (xi(CRR)) and the number of segments in the cooperative volume (N-CRR) is comparatively smaller in the blends with NH2-MWNTs. This clearly suggests that the number of segments cooperatively relaxing is reduced in the blends due to specific interactions leading to more heterogeneity. The configurational entropy at T-g, as derived from Vogel-Fulcher and Adam-Gibbs analysis, was reduced in the blends in presence of MWNTs manifesting in entropic penalty of the chains. The crystallite size and the amorphous miscibility was evaluated using SAXS and was observed to be strongly contingent on the surface functional groups on MWNTs. Three distinct relaxations-alpha(c) due to relaxations in the crystalline phase of PVDF, alpha(m) indicating the amorphous miscibility in PVDF/PMMA blends, and alpha beta concerning the segmental dynamics of PMMA-were observed in the blends in the temperature range T-g < T < T-c. The dynamics as well as the nature of relaxations were observed to be dependent the surface functionality on the MWNTs. The dielectric permittivity was also enhanced in presence of MWNTs, especially with NH2-MWNTs, with minimal losses. The influence of the MWNTs on the spherulite size and crystalline morphology of the blends was also confirmed by POM and SEM.

Differential response of cholesterol based pyrimidine systems with oxyethylene type spacers to gelation and mesogen formation in the presence of alkali metal ions

A new series of lipophilic cholesteryl derivatives of 2,4,6-trichloro-pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde has been synthesized. Oxyethylene spacers of variable lengths were inserted between the hydrogen bonding promoting pyrimidine core and the cholesteryl tail in order to understand their effect on the selfassembly of these compounds. Only compound 1a with the shortest spacer formed a gel in organic solvents such as n-butanol and n-dodecane. While other members (1b and c) having longer spacers led to sol formation and precipitation in n-butanol and n-dodecane respectively. The self-assembly phenomena associated with the gelation process were investigated using temperature-dependent UVVis and CD-spectroscopy. The morphological features of the freeze-dried gels obtained from different organic solvents were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The solid phase behaviours of these molecules and their associated alkali metal ion complexes were explored using polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular arrangements in the xerogel and in the solid state were further probed using a wide-angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) technique. Analysis of the wide-angle X-ray diffraction data reveals that this class of molecules adopts a hexagonal columnar organization in the gel and in the solid state. Each slice of these hexagonal columnar structures is composed of a dimeric molecular-assembly as a building block. Significant changes in the conformation of the oxyethylene chains could be triggered via the coordination of selected alkali metal ions. This led to the production of interesting metal ion promoted mesogenic behaviour.

Modification of crosslinked chitosan membrane using NaY zeolite for pervaporation separation of water-isopropanol mixtures

The blocked diisocyanate crosslinked chitosan membrane was modified by incorporating different mass% of NaY zeolite. The physico-chemical properties of resulting composite membranes were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties of the membranes were studied using universal testing machine (UTM). After measuring the equilibrium swelling, membranes were subjected to pervaporation for separation of water-isopropanol mixtures. Both flux and selectivity were increased with increasing NaY zeolite content in the membranes. The membrane containing 40 mass% of NaY zeolite exhibited the highest separation selectivity of 11,241 with a flux of 11.37 x 10(-2) kg/m(2) h for 10 mass% of water in the feed. The total flux and flux of water are almost overlapping each other, suggesting that these membranes could be effectively used to break the azeotropic point of water-isopropanol mixture. From the temperature dependent diffusion and permeation values, the Arrhenius activation parameters were estimated. All the composite membranes exhibited lower activation energy compared to crosslinked membrane, indicating that the permeants require less energy during the process because of molecular sieving action attributed to the presence of sodalite and super cages in the framework of Nay zeolite. The Henry's mode of sorption dominates the process, giving an endothermic contribution. (C) 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of crystallinity and thermomechanical analysis of annealed poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

The objective of this article was the determination of the degree of crystallinity of a series of heat-set poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films and their study by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in order to elucidate a peculiar behaviour that takes place around the glass transition region. For this purpose, amorphous cast Mylar films from DuPont were annealed at 115 °C for various periods of time. Four methods were used to study the crystallinity of the samples prepared: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density measurements (DM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). From the results obtained, the following conclusions are drawn: amorphous PET Mylar films can be crystallized in a degree of about up to 30% after thermal treatment for 30 min (cold crystallization) above glass transition temperature. When these semicrystalline samples are subjected to TMA, they show a two step penetration of the probe into them, which decreases with the increase of the degree of crystallinity. The first step of penetration was attributed to the shrinkage of the amorphous or semicrystalline sample, which takes place on the glass transition temperature, while the second step was attributed to the continuous softening of the sample, and the reorganization of the matter which takes place on heating run due to cold crystallization. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

双结晶性PEG-PCL两嵌段共聚物的合成，结晶行为和形态

聚乙二醇－聚ε-己内酯两嵌段共聚物（PEG-PCL）由于其在生物医用材料中的潜在应用而受到广泛的关注。然而，研究表明这类嵌段共聚物的许多性质，如药物渗透性，降解性能和机械性质等，都要受到它们的结晶行为与聚集态结构的显著影响。而在本课题开始之前，还没有关于PEG-PCL的结晶行为与形态的系统研究报道。因此，本文希望通过对PEG-PCL两嵌段共聚物结晶行为与形态的研究，能为这类生物降解高分子材料的工业应用提供一定的科学依据。本文使用辛酸亚锡为催化剂，甲氧基聚乙二醇（mPEG）为大分子引发剂，合成了一系列分子量分布比较窄，PCL质量百分含量为0.16-0.93的PEG-PCL两嵌段共聚物。两嵌段共聚物中的PEG段分子量固定为5000，共聚物的组成通过改变PCL链段的长度来调节。本文使用DSC，WAXD，常温或变温FTIR详细研究了PEG-PCL的结晶和熔融行为，使用偏光显微镜（POM）观察了PEG-PCL的结晶形态及结晶生长行为，利用SAXS研究了PEG-PCL的微观形态，得出了如下结果：（1）WAXD与FTIR的结果表明，两嵌段共聚物中的PEG与PCL形成微相分离的结晶微区，不存在两者的共晶或混晶。PCL含量为0.23-0.87的两嵌段共聚物中都能观察到的PEG与PCL的结晶。变温FTIR结果显示，当PCL含量低于或等于0.36，两嵌段共聚物中的PEG先从熔体中结晶；反之，当PCL含量等于或大于0.43，则熔体中PCL结晶先出现。（2）DSC结果表明，随着PEG-PCL中PCL段长度的增加，PCL段的结晶和熔融温度显著增加；相反，PEG段的结晶和熔融温度则显著降低。当PCL的质量分数由0增加至0.93，PEG的结晶度从79%降低至0，然而PCL的结晶度却不是单调变化，而是出现一个最大值。（3）在POM下观察PEG-PCL的36 oC等温熔体结晶过程，当PCL质量分数不超过0.36时，在偏光显微镜下只能观察到PEG球晶；而当PCL质量分数大于或等于0.56时，只能观察到PCL球晶；PCL含量为0.43和0.50的两种两嵌段共聚物中观察到了一种独特的同心球晶，同心球晶的中心部分形态类似于PCL球晶，而外部则类似于PEG球晶。PEG球晶与PCL球晶生长速率受PCL含量的影响显著：当PCL质量分数从0增加至0.50，PEG球晶的生长速率大大降低；然而，PCL球晶的生长速率却不是单调变化，而是在PCL质量分数为0.62时达到最大值。（4）SAXS结果表明，结晶后的PEG-PCL的微区结构是由交替的PEG与PCL的层状微区组成。共聚物的长周期在PCL质量分数为0.50时达到最大值。当PCL质量分数由0增加至0.50时，由于PCL层厚度的显著增加，共聚物的长周期显著增加；而当PCL含量由0.50继续增加至0.87，由于PEG层厚度的急剧降低，又使得共聚物的长周期迅速降低。（5）首次利用POM和微区红外光谱详细研究了PEG-PCL50/50(w/w)同心球晶的形成过程，发现同心球晶的形成是由于一种独特的结晶动力学造成的。另外，即使同心球晶的中心和外部的形态差别巨大，但是红外显微镜结果显示，两部分的组成却是相同的。