			Home About us Contact

Crystalline Growth (crystalline + growth)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Polymers and Materials Science	75%

Selected Abstracts

A Spring-Like Behavior of Chiral Block Copolymer with Helical Nanostructure Driven by Crystallization

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 3 2009
Yeo-Wan Chiang
Abstract The crystallization of helical nanostructure resulting from the self-assembly of a chiral diblock copolymer, poly(styrene)- b -poly(L -lactide) (PS-PLLA), is studied. Various crystalline PS-PLLA nanostructures are obtained by controlling the crystallization temperature of PLLA (Tc,PLLA), at which crystalline helices and crystalline cylinders occur while Tc,PLLA,<,Tg,PS (the glass transition temperature of PS) and Tc,PLLA,,,Tg,PS, respectively. As evidenced by selected-area electron diffraction and two-dimensional X-ray diffraction results, the PLLA crystallites under confinement reveal a unique anisotropic character regardless of the crystallization temperature. On the basis of observed uniaxial scattering results the PLLA crystallites grown within the microdomains are identified as crystals with preferential growth directions either along the [100] or along the [110]-axes of the PLLA crystalline unit cell, at which the molecular chains and the growth direction are normal and parallel to the central axes of helices, respectively. The formation of this exclusive crystalline growth is attributed to the spatial confinement effect for crystallization. While Tc,PLLA,<,Tg,PS, owing to the directed crystallization by helical confinement, the preferential crystalline growth leads to the crystallization following a helical track with growth direction parallel to the central axes of helices through a twisting mechanism. Consequently, winding crystals with specific crystallographic orientation within the helical microdomains can be found. By contrast, while Tc,PLLA,,,Tg,PS, the preferential growth may modulate the curvature of microdomains by shifting the molecular chains to access the fast path for crystalline growth due to the increase in chain mobility. As a result, a spring-like behavior of the helical nanostructure can be driven by crystallization so as to dictate the transformation of helices, resulting in crystalline cylinders that might be applicable to the design of switchable large-strain actuators. [source]

Effect of Neodymium:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser Irradiation on Crystallization in Li2O,Al2O3,SiO2 Glass

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 10 2001
Yong Su Lee
A 355-nm neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser, produced by a harmonic generator, was used for the nucleation process in photosensitive glass containing Ag+ and Ce3+ ions. The pulse width and frequency of the laser were 8 ns and 10 Hz, respectively. Heat treatment was conducted at 570°C for 1 h, following laser irradiation, to produce crystalline growth, after which a LiAlSi3O8 crystal phase appeared in the laser-irradiated Li2O,Al2O3,SiO2 glass. The present study compares the effect of laser-induced nucleation on glass crystallization with that of spontaneous nucleation by heat treatment. [source]

Characterization for water vapour barrier and heat sealability properties of heat-treated paperboard/polylactide structure

PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 8 2009
Kimmo Lahtinen
Abstract The moisture barrier and heat sealability properties of polylactide (PLA) extrusion-coated paperboard were investigated. The first part of the study focused on the influences of coating weight and surroundings temperature and relative humidity on the water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) of the structure. The outcome arising from this part was a simple and practical equation that allows calculating the WVTR as a function of PLA coating weight under specific thermo-hygrometric conditions. The second part of the study investigated the effect of heat treatments between 100 and 150°C on the WVTR and heat sealability of a 20,g/m2 PLA-coated paperboard. According to the results, the lowest WVTR values achieved were about 2.5 times lower than the WVTR of the untreated structure. Presumably, the PLA coating experienced two types of reordering mechanisms: crystalline growth and packing of the amorphous structure. The greatest barrier improvement was achieved when both of these mechanisms were accumulated effectively. This was observed from the samples after a 40,min treatment at 130°C. Ultimately, the crystalline growth was experienced by PLA at 100,130°C temperatures. The packing of the amorphous section, which was also accumulated at higher temperatures, was suggested to be the decisive factor influencing WVTR. According to the heat sealing results, the heat treatments causing crystalline growth resulted in considerably increased sealing temperatures and reduced applicability of the material in high-speed packaging applications. The treatments at 140,150°C caused only a slight increase in the sealing temperature and maintained the sealing performance of PLA. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]