Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.36, No.1, 65-73, 1998
Relationship between morphology and glass transition temperature in solvent-crystallized poly(aryl ether ketones)
The relationship between semicrystalline morphology and glass transition temperature has been investigated for solvent-crystallized poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK). Solvent-crystallized specimens of both PEEK and PEKK displayed a sizeable positive offset in T-g compared to quenched amorphous specimens as well as thermally crystallized specimens of comparable bulk crystallinity; the offset in T-g for the crystallized samples reflected the degree of constraint imposed on the amorphous segments by the crystallites. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies revealed markedly smaller crystal long periods (d) for the solvent-crystallized specimens compared to samples prepared by direct cold crystallization. The strong inverse correlation observed between T-g and interlamellar amorphous thickness (l(A)) based on a simple two-phase model was in excellent agreement with data reported previously for PEEK, and indicated the existence of a unique relationship between glass transition temperature and morphology in these poly(aryl ether ketones) over a wider range of sample preparation history and lamellar structure than was previously reported.
Keywords:X-RAY-SCATTERING;UNIT-CELL PARAMETERS;DIELECTRIC-RELAXATION;MELTING BEHAVIOR;POLYMERS;POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE);POLYMORPHISM;POLYSTYRENE;DIFFRACTION;COPOLYMERS