N,N‘-Dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide (NJS) is an efficient nucleating agent to prepare
isotactic polypropylene (iPP) samples rich in the β-modification (β-iPP). However, NJS is not a selective
β-nucleating agent, as the related samples always contain both α and β modification of iPP. Depending on the
final temperature of heating (T
f), NJS may be partially or completely dissolved in the iPP melt. The dual nucleation
ability of NJS was studied by polarized light microscopy (PLM) and calorimetry (DSC). It was established that
the lateral surface of the needle crystals of NJS acts as α-nucleating agent. Because of the solubility and dual
nucleating ability of NJS, a wide variety of supermolecular structures may form in its presence. The feature of
the structure formed during the crystallization of iPP depends on the concentration of the nucleating agent, on
the end temperature of heating, and on the thermal conditions during cooling and crystallization. In this study we
observed an αβ-transcrystalline layer development on the lateral surface of the needle crystals of NJS, dendritic
and microcrystalline structures, and a spectacular “flower”-like agglomerate of β- and α-crystallites. A model
was proposed to explain the dual nucleating effect of NJS.
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