The Three-Phase Structure of Random Butene-1/Ethylene Copolymers

The three-phase arrangement of random copolymers of butene-1 with ethylene was investigated and compared with isotactic poly(butene-1) homopolymer (iPB-1). In all the analyzed compositions, isothermal crystallization leads to a three-phase structure, made of one crystal phase and two amorphous fractions that differ in mobility: the mobile amorphous fraction (MAF), made of the polymer chains that relax at the glass transition, and a rigid amorphous fraction ( RAF) made of the amorphous segments coupled with the crystal phase. Copolymerization with ethylene leads to a drop in crystal fraction and to a sizable increase of both the RAF, and of the specific RAF, i.e. of the RAF normalized to crystallinity. Analysis of crystal growth rate allowed quantifying the fold surface free energy, which increases of about 50 to 100% in the copolymers, compared to iPB-1 homopolymer. In the butene-1/ethylene random copolymers, ethylene units are mostly excluded from the crystals and accumulate at the crystal/amorphous interphase, thus affecting the rigid amorphous area. The varied composition and higher mobility of the rigid amorphous fraction of the copolymers affects also the Form II to Form I transformation of poly(butene-1) crystals, which occurs with enhanced kinetics in the copolymers, compared to iPB-1 homopolymer.