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Formation of shish-like fibril crystals from the melt of blends of cyclic and linear polyethylene under shear flow

Polymer Journal volume 54, pages 913–920 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

The role of chain entanglements in shear-induced crystallization is one of the most important unsolved problems. The entanglements formed by topologically distinct cyclic and linear polymers are particularly notable. The shear-induced crystallization behavior of a blend of cyclic polyethylene (C-PE) and linear polyethylene (L-PE) was investigated. Using C-PE as a matrix and L-PE as an additive, we changed the molecular weight and blend ratio of C-PE and L-PE and measured the formation rate of shish-like fibril crystals, I. In both blend systems of C-PE(230k)/L-PE(42k) and C-PE(230k)/L-PE(104k), where the values in parentheses represent the molecular weight, I reached a maximum at a certain weight fraction of L-PE, ΦL-PE. As the ΦL-PE was increased, that is, the entanglement density was increased, the formation of the oriented melt was promoted while crystallization was simultaneously suppressed by entanglements. The maximum value of I was observed owing to these two competing factors. Similar behavior was observed in the blend systems of C-PE(230k)/L-PE(42k), C-PE(130k)/L-PE(42k), and C-PE(86k)/L-PE(42k).

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (No. 24550256) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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  1. Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Keiko Kobayashi, Shinichi Yamazaki & Kunio Kimura

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Kobayashi, K., Yamazaki, S. & Kimura, K. Formation of shish-like fibril crystals from the melt of blends of cyclic and linear polyethylene under shear flow. Polym J 54, 913–920 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-022-00643-x

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