Influence of Fusion Temperature on Nonisothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Polyamide 6

Abstract

The effect of fusion temperature and duration on the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of polyamide 6 (PA6) was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a polarized optical microscope (OM). The rapid cooling method involved heating the polymer above its melting point, holding it at this temperature to ensure complete melting, and then rapidly cooling it to the crystallization temperature. By monitoring the heat flow during cooling, the crystallization kinetics of PA6 were characterized, including the degree of crystallinity, crystallization temperature, and crystallization rate. The study found that changing the fusion temperature and duration significantly impacted the crystallization kinetics of PA6. Increasing the fusion temperature decreased the degree of crystallinity, with smaller nucleation centers requiring a higher degree of supercooling for crystallization. The crystallization temperature shifted towards lower temperatures, and the crystallization kinetics slowed down. The study also found that lengthening the fusion time raised the relative crystallinity, but any further increase did not result in a significant change. The study showed that an increase in fusion temperature led to a longer time needed to reach a given level of crystallinity, reducing the crystallization rate. This can be explained by the thermodynamics of the crystallization process, where higher temperatures promote molecular mobility and crystal growth. Moreover, the study revealed that decreasing a polymer’s fusion temperature can lead to a greater degree of nucleation and faster growth of the crystalline phase, which can significantly impact the values of the Avrami parameters used to characterize the crystallization kinetics.

Review of Decompression Damage of the Polymer Liner of the Type IV Hydrogen Storage Tank

“…Molecular orientation is common in injection molding [ 93 ] and leads to the anisotropy of materials. The fusion temperature can influence the degree of crystallinity [ 94 ]. The effect of the molding process should be further investigated.…”

High strength injection molding welding and interface crystal phase changes in polyamide 6

“…Increasing the melting temperature decreases the degree of crystallinity, as smaller nucleation centers require higher undercooling to crystallize. In addition, an increase in the melting time enhances the relative crystallinity, but further increases do not lead to significant changes 27,28 . Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influences of different mold temperatures and injection temperatures on the weld strength.…”