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Kinetics of competitive crystallization of β- and α-modifications in β-nucleated iPP studied by isothermal stepwise crystallization technique

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Abstract

Crystallization kinetics of β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene (β-iPP) under isothermal conditions were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. iPP was nucleated by a trisamide derivative, namely tris-2,3-dimethyl-hexylamide of trimesic acid (TATA). In the presence of TATA possessing dual nucleating ability, the formation of the α- and β-form occurs simultaneously. An isothermal stepwise crystallization method is suggested in this study, which can separate the crystallization process of β- and α-iPP and consequently their crystallization kinetics can be evaluated separately. The results indicated that the mechanism of crystallization changes in temperature especially in the vicinity of the upper critical temperature of the formation of the β-phase. In addition, it was found that the ratio of the growth rates of β- and α-modification determines the characteristics of crystallization and influences the apparent rate constant of crystallization of both polymorphs.

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Acknowledgements

One of the authors (Alfréd Menyhárd) would like to express his indebtedness to the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plastics and Rubber Technology, Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3. H. ép. I, Budapest, H-1111, Hungary

    Alfréd Menyhárd, Gábor Dora, Zsuzsanna Horváth, Gábor Faludi & József Varga

  2. Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Environmental and Material Chemistry, Pusztaszeri út 59-67, Budapest, H-1025, Hungary

    Alfréd Menyhárd, Gábor Dora, Zsuzsanna Horváth, Gábor Faludi & József Varga

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  1. Alfréd Menyhárd
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  2. Gábor Dora
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  3. Zsuzsanna Horváth
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  4. Gábor Faludi
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  5. József Varga
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Correspondence to Alfréd Menyhárd.

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Menyhárd, A., Dora, G., Horváth, Z. et al. Kinetics of competitive crystallization of β- and α-modifications in β-nucleated iPP studied by isothermal stepwise crystallization technique. J Therm Anal Calorim 108, 613–620 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-011-1900-3

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