Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.34, No.4, 737-749, 1996
Morphology Development During Solid-State Annealing of Poly(Ether-Ester) Multiblock Copolymers
Morphology development during isothermal annealing of poly(ether-ester) multiblock copolymers with hard segments containing poly(tetramethylene isophthalate) is examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Reorganization in the solid-state occurs by melting and recrystallization. At temperatures close to the melting point, glass transition measurements after quenching from the annealing temperature suggest microphase mixing follows melting. The temperature of maximum recrystallization rate is elevated relative to that of isothermal crystallization. SAXS experiments suggest that a memory of the initial morphology is retained during annealing. Aspects of the DSC scans related to crystallization on cooling and rescanning also suggest that the morphology at the annealing temperature plays a governing role in the determination of the degree of order possible on cooling. The crystalline regions stable at the annealing temperature are envisioned to function in a dual role, acting as nucleation centers for recrystallization and as a form of "constraint" to ordering on cooling.
Keywords:POLYURETHANE BLOCK COPOLYMERS;MULTIPLE ENDOTHERMIC BEHAVIOR;POLY(BUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE);POLYBUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE;THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS;ESTER);DSC