The phase behavior and crystallization of graft copolymers consisting of poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) as an amorphous main chain and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as crystallizable side chains (HMAx with 15 x 73, where x represents the weight percentage of PEG) were investigated. Small-angle X-ray scattering profiles measured above the melting temperature of PEG suggested that a microdomain structure with segregated PHMA and PEG domains was formed in HMA40 and HMA46. This phase behavior was qualitatively described by a calculated phase diagram based on the mean-field theory. Because of the segregation of PEG into microdomains, the crystallization temperature of the PEG side chains in HMAx was higher than that in poly(methyl acrylate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) having a similar value of x, which was considered to be in a disordered state above the melting temperature. In HMAx with x 40, PEG crystallization was strongly restricted, probably because the PEG microdomains were isolated in the PHMA matrix. As a result, the growth of PEG spherulite was not observed because the PEG crystallization occurred after vitrification of the PHMA segregated domains.
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