A comparison on self-seeding and isothermal crystallization of polyethylene in solution using small angle neutron scattering

- A significant development in the study of self-seeding and isothermal crystallization of polymer is reported.
- A model for isothermal crystallization and self-seeding crystallization was employed to investigate structural parameters in the crystallization of polyethylene in the solution.
- Comparative crystallization kinetic of polymer in isothermal crystallization and self-seeding crystallization is investigated.

We report a simultaneous study in self-seeding and isothermal crystallization of polyethylene (PE) in the solution using time resolved small angle neutron scattering (SANS). We observe that the SANS spectra obtained from self-seeding technique are significantly different from isothermal crystallization technique of PE crystallization in solution. The first correlation peak from structure factor for self-seeding crystallization is not clear compare to isothermal crystallization spectra, indicating that crystals are dominantly in single or few lamellae forms. Structural information, such as the lamellar long period, lamellar crystal thickness, amorphous layers between lamellae, invariant and crystallinity has been quantitatively determined based on model fitting. Avrami analysis depicts 2D lamellar structure formation.