On the Fine Structure of Shish-Kebabs in Injection Moulded Polyethylene

Abstract

The fine structure of melt-crystallized shish-kebabs is investigated by means of TEM, SAXS, DSC and RS. In addition to the well known two morphological entities (shish and kebab), a third entity called “transitional zone” has been detected by TEM and two independent SAXS maxima. The transitional zone is characterized by a crystal morphology somewhere in between the shish and kebab crystals and a comparatively high connectivity of molecules along those crystals. In situ SAXS experiments at elevated temperatures reveal the change of the size of this zone with crystallization conditions.