Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of peroxide-crosslinked polyethylene: Effect of solid state mechanochemical milling

The influence of solid state mechanochemical milling process on the non-isothermal crystallization of peroxide-crosslinked-low-density polyethylene (peroxide-XLPE) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different cooling rates. Peroxide-XLPE was partially decrosslinked during mechanochemical milling process. The Avrami method modified by Jeziorny, the Ozawa method and the Mo method were applied to describe the non-isothermal crystallization process of peroxide-XLPE, decrosslinked XLPE (de-XLPE) and pure LDPE successfully. The results revealed that the decrosslinking effect could accelerate the crystallization process of XLPE due to the higher chain mobility after mechanochemical milling, which was confirmed by the values of half crystallization time (t1/2), crystallization rate exponent Zc, parameter K(T) and F(T).

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► Crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) was selectively decrosslinked via solid state mechanochemical milling.
► All the models were found to describe the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics very well.
► The decrosslinking effect could accelerate the overall crystallization process of XLPE.