Eur. Phys. J. E (2005) 16: 217-224
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/e2005-00023-0

Regular Articles

Crystallization of poly(ethylene-co-octene): II Melt memory effects on first order kinetics

Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

^* e-mail: gert.strobl@physik.uni-freiburg.de

Received: 9 September 2004
Published online: 22 February 2005

Abstract

Dilatometric and X-ray scattering experiments of the crystallization kinetics of a sample of poly(ethylene-co-octene) show pronounced melt memory effects, i.e., the shapes of isotherms and characteristic times vary systematically with the temperature of the melt prior to cooling to the crystallization temperature. The temperature range of the effect is limited; crystallization kinetics remains constant below a melt temperature Tm l and above a melt temperature Tmh and varies only in-between. Analysis shows that the melt memory effect is caused by a variation of the characteristic time of a first order crystallization process. The process can be assigned to the in-filling of crystallites into objects of a previously generated precursor structure.