Temperature Dependence of Molecular Conformation in Uniaxially Deformed Isotactic Polypropylene Investigated by Combination of Polarized FTIR Spectroscopy and 2D Correlation Analysis

摘要

Evolution of molecular conformation in uniaxially deformed isotactic polypropylene (iPP) as a function of temperature is investigated by time-resolved polarized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. It is observed that oriented crystals (microfibrils) induced by deformation possess better thermal stability compared with isotropic spherulites. 2D correlation analysis reveals that the relaxation process of ordered helices in deformed iPP could be divided into two regions referring to the melting of different crystalline structures. No obvious sequential change of ordering conformations observed in low temperature region is attributed to melting of defective or destructed crystals. However, notable sequential changes of helices occur in the high temperature region; interestingly, long helices are more thermally stable than short helices. The central region of microfibrils is suggested to consist of a large amount of long helical bundles, and the short ordering segments are primarily located in the outer lateral surfaces. A physical picture of the conformational distribution in deformation-induced microfibrils is thus gained. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 673-684