Morphology,crystallization, and thermal behaviour of isotactic polypropylene/low density polyethylene blends

The morphology, the crystallization and thermal behaviour of isotactic polypropylene (IPP) in its blends with two different samples of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was investigated at temperatures high enough to prevent any solidification of LDPE. It is found that pre-existing liquid LDPE domains are incorporated in intra-spherulitic regions during the isothermal crystallization of iPP. The radial growth rate of spherulites is almost unaffected by the LDPE content. The overall rate of crystallization of iPP, on the contrary, is strongly depressed by the addtion of LDPE. A depression of the equilibrium melting temperature of iPP, due to kinetic and morphological effects, is also observed. The depression of the overal kinetic rate constant is accounted for by the negative effect (decrease in the number of nuclei) that the addition of LDPE has on the primary nucleation process of iPP.