Md. Forhad Mina

CRYSTALLIZATION OF A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE AND PARAFFINS UNDER A TEMPERATURE GRADIENT

A low molecular weight polyethylene (PE) and even-number paraffins were crystallized under a temperature gradient. Highly oriented crystalline textures were developed by the temperature slope crystallization. The in situ crystallizing surface was observed by an optical microscope and X-ray diffraction. Polyethylene has a b-axis orientation in which the lamellar normal and crystalline c-axis are perpendicular to the temperature gradient. On the contrary, in the even-number paraffins, both axes are parallel to the temperature gradient. The results of the in situ measurements and the crystalline orientation are compared and discussed for both cases.