Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol.47, No.4, 365-373, 2007
Effect of nucleating additives on crystallization of poly(m-xylylene adipamide)
Static crystallization study was carried out on virgin and nucleated poly(m-xylylene adipamide) (MXD6) which were, respectively, named PA1 and PA2. For PA2, the nucleating additives consist in talc (1%) and PA66 (11%). The three used experimental techniques (rheometer, calorimetry, and a hot stage coupled with an optical microscope) showed complementary results as the DSC could not be used to measure the low crystallization kinetics of PA1. Characteristic crystallization times were measured according to the crystallization conditions (temperature, cooling rate). Isothermal crystallization study allowed the determination of the thermodynamic melting point of the MXD6 and the description of the lamellae growth rate by the Hoffman-Lauritzen equation. For PA2, the creation of a soft network due to PA66 crystallization prior to the MXD6 crystallization was highlighted thanks to a specific rheological study. Lastly, kinetic models, based on both Avrami and Hoffman-Lauritzen theories, were proposed to depict the crystallization process.