Crystallization and Melting Behavior of Polyethylene Oxide Copolymers

Abstract
The course of isothermal crystallization of a series of high molecular weight polyethylene oxide copolymers was studied with a microdensity balance. The comonomers, butylene and styrene oxides, ranged from 0.2 to 4 mole%; several examples of different polymerization conditions were also studied. The consequence of adding noncrystallizing components to a presumably linear polymer was observed in both melting point depression and the shape of the crystallization isotherm. From the melting points obtained on the experimental copolymers, the heat of fusion appeared to be lowered by the addition of noncrystallizable sequences. Inasmuch as the shape of the crystallization isotherm is changed when different amounts of comonomers are present in a random copolymer, an estimate can be made of the amount of noncrystallizing polymer acting like a block from the crystallization kinetics data and the melting point depression.

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