The Crystallization of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Studied By
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The Crystallization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Studied by Thermal Analysis and FTIR Spectroscopy ZIYU CHEN A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Metallurgy and Materials College of Engineeting and Physical Sciences University of Birmingham December 2012 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Synopsis This thesis concerns the thermal behaviour and properties, isothermal crystallization kinetics and seeded crystallization study of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) using thermal analysis Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TA-FTIR), two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). TA-FTIR has been used to characterize phase transitions by a change in the absorbance or peak position with temperature in thermal cycling. It provides more information in assigning the phase transition temperature to an individual chain segment rather than other TA techniques. It also observes two different types of thermal behaviours, Type I and Type II, of the functional groups during thermal treatment. The most significant achievement of this project assign to find out that the carbonyl stretching band has an amorphous band at 1727 cm-1 in the melt and a crystalline band at 1717 cm-1 by TA-FTIR. It was then successfully analyzed by 2D correlation spectroscopy and presented “angel” pattern and two cross peaks on synchronous and asynchronous correlation spectra respectively. i The isothermal crystallization kinetics of PET were measured from 230 to 240oC by FTIR focusing on the carbonyl ester group. The deconvolution of the 1727 and 1717 cm-1 overlapping absorption bands makes it possible to analyze the kinetics of both primary and secondary crystallization by Avrami equations. The Avrami exponents n were determined as 2.0 for primary and 1.0 for secondary process. Melting behaviour studies were carried out by DSC observing that crystallinity, melting temperature and calculated lamellar thickness of PET increase with the extending time period of isothermal crystallization in secondary process. Seeded crystallization provides for the possibility of crystallizing polymers at higher temperatures, even located in the normal melting temperature region, to produce greater lamellae thicknesses and higher melting temperature and to consider the effect of this morphology on their mechanical and physical properties. However, the mechanism of growth rate of seeded crystallization is questionable that requires further research. ii Acknowledgement Firstly, I sincerely appreciate my supervisors Prof. James N. Hay and Dr. Michel J. Jenkins. I am deeply indebted their patient guidance, profound expertise and wisdom throughout these years. They were always willing to answer my questions, provide valuable advice and support in difficulty during the study. I feel extremely honoured to work under their great guidance. Without their help and support, this work would never have been accomplished. I would like to give a very special thanks to Mr. Frank Biddlestone for his technical support. His broad experience, logical way of thinking and constructive comment has been of great value for me in doing the experimental part of the research. I am deeply grateful to all my colleagues and friends for supports, sharing their knowledge and precious friendship that made my life in UK enjoyable in these years. Especially to Dr. Abdul G. AL Lafi, Dr Samsudin S. Amril, Dr. Jin Tang, Dr. ZhenHua Hu and Dr. DeJing Kong. The most important, I would above all like to thank my parents. Their endless love, support and truth is my motivity helping me through the time of this degree and I can never thank them enough. Finally to my fiancée Yi Huang, thank you for your love, understanding, encouragement that support me over this period. iii Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 1.1 POLY (ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) ................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Production of PET ........................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Commercial Uses of PET. ............................................................................................... 3 1.2 KINETICS OF POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION .......................................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Polymer crystallization .................................................................................................. 5 1.2.2 Nucleation. ..................................................................................................................... 6 1.2.3 Crystal Growth. .............................................................................................................. 9 1.2.4 The temperature Dependence of Growth Rate........................................................... 10 1.2.5 The Avrami Equation. .................................................................................................. 15 1.3 MORPHOLOGY OF CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS .................................................................................... 16 1.3.1 Single crystals .............................................................................................................. 16 1.3.2 Spherulites ................................................................................................................... 18 1.4 THE MELTING OF POLYMERS. ....................................................................................................... 22 1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT. ........................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER TWO: MATERIALS, EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES ........................................................................................................ 26 26 2.1 MATERIALS. .............................................................................................................................. 26 2.1.1 Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). ............................................................................ 26 2.2 EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES. .............................................................................. 27 2.2.1 Infrared Spectroscopy. ................................................................................................. 27 2.2.1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.1.2 Experimental Procedures. ...................................................................................................... 31 2.2.1.3 Peak Resolution in a FTIR Spectrum. ...................................................................................... 35 2.2.2 Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). .................................................................... 40 2.2.2.1 Introduction. .......................................................................................................................... 40 iv 2.2.2.2 Experimental Procedures. ...................................................................................................... 42 2.2.3 Hot-stage Microscopy. ................................................................................................. 45 2.2.3.1 Optical Microscopy. ............................................................................................................... 45 2.2.3.2 Hot-stage Microscopy. ........................................................................................................... 45 2.2.3.3 Experimental Procedures. ...................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER THREE: THERMAL ANALYSIS OF PET BY DSC AND FTIR SPECTROSCOPY ................................................................................................... 48 3.1 INTRODUCTION. ......................................................................................................................... 48 3.2 DSC THERMAL ANALYSIS OF PET. ................................................................................................. 50 3.3 TYPICAL FTIR SPECTRUM OF PET.................................................................................................. 54 3.4 THERMAL ANALYSIS PET ON FTIR SPECTRUM. ................................................................................ 55 3.4.1 On cooling PET from the Melt. .................................................................................... 55 3.4.2 The Effect of Thermal Cycling on the FTIR Spectra ..................................................... 56 3.4.3 Type l Behaviour. ......................................................................................................... 59 3.4.4 Type II Behaviour. .......................................................................................................