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Lamellar orientation in isotactic polypropylene thin films: a complement study via grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and surface/cross-sectional imaging

Polymer Journal volume 51, pages183–188(2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

The crystalline structures of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) thin films were investigated using grazing incident wide-angle X-ray diffraction (GIWAXD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The out-of-plane (110) reflection split with 99° inclination in the GIWAXD pattern. The film surface was covered with flat-on mother lamellae with orthogonal daughter lamellae. The cross-sectional TEM image and the fast Fourier transform-processed image showed vertically aligned daughter lamellae and cross-hatched lateral mother lamellae. Flat-on lamellae may be preferentially produced at the substrate interface, after which the mother lamellae may yield daughter lamellae from the ac plane to give vertically aligned lamellae. The daughter lamellae yield in-plane lamellae with flat-on alignment from the ac plane, resulting in the global growth of a cross-hatched lamellar structure.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the Photon and Quantum Basic Research Coordinated Development Program of MEXT. The GIWAXD measurements were carried out at the first hutch of SPring-8 BL03XU constructed by the Consortium of Advanced Softmaterial Beamline (FSBL) (Proposal Nos. 2013A7218, 2013B7266, 2015A7216, 2015B7267, 2016A7217, and 2017B7267).

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Author notes

  1. Yuji Higaki

    Present address: Department of Integrated Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Oita University, 700 Dannoharu, Oita, 870-1192, Japan

Affiliations

  1. Process Technology Laboratory, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., 580-32 Nagaura, Sodegaura, Chiba, 299-0265, Japan

    Kiminori Uchida & Kazuki Mita

  2. Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Yuji Higaki, Ken Kojio & Atsushi Takahara

  3. Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Yuji Higaki, Ken Kojio & Atsushi Takahara

  4. International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Yuji Higaki, Ken Kojio & Atsushi Takahara

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  1. Kiminori Uchida
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  2. Kazuki Mita
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Correspondence to Kiminori Uchida.

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Uchida, K., Mita, K., Higaki, Y. et al. Lamellar orientation in isotactic polypropylene thin films: a complement study via grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and surface/cross-sectional imaging. Polym J 51, 183–188 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-018-0138-3

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