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Isothermal crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene exposed to gamma radiation in vacuum

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Abstract

The effect of gamma radiation in vacuum on the isothermal crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Amorphous sPS samples were irradiated in vacuum, heated to 310 °C, cooled down to crystallization temperatures (Tcs) from 220 to 260 °C, and annealed for different times. Upon reheating, overlapping endothermic melting peaks depicted the various crystallization forms, α, β, and β′. The endotherms were resolved using Gaussian functions relating enthalpy changes to the endothermic envelope. Isothermal crystallization kinetic data were analyzed using Avrami’s model with Gaussian functions. The extent of crystallization of β and β′ forms increased with increasing crystallization time and temperature, while that of α form decreased. Crystallization half-time followed a modified Arrhenius equation. Crystallization activation energies for the β and β′ forms of sPS increased with increasing radiation doses. The results are compared to those of air irradiated sPS reported in the literature.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan

    Yu-Fan Chuang, Yi-Wen Ting, Chen-Ti Hu & Sanboh Lee

  2. Chemistry Department, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 33620, USA

    Julie P. Harmon

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  1. Yu-Fan Chuang
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Correspondence to Sanboh Lee.

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Chuang, YF., Ting, YW., Hu, CT. et al. Isothermal crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene exposed to gamma radiation in vacuum. Journal of Materials Research 30, 592–601 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.402

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.402

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