Crystal structure of ethene-/α-olefin copolymers with various long comonomers (C8-C26)

Ethene-/α-olefin copolymers having a wide range of comonomers between 8 and 26 carbon atoms in length were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). It was found that the crystallinities for the shorter comonomers (C8, C12) matched fairly well with the crystallinities from DSC and volumetric measurements, while for the longer comonomers (C18, C26) distinct differences between the three methods were found. This was explained by the presence of an additional crystalline phase of the side chains slightly deforming the amorphous peak.