WIDE-ANGLE AND SMALL-ANGLE X-RAY-SCATTERING STUDIES ON THE REAL STRUCTURE OF FRACTIONS OF (ETHYLENE-ALPHA-OLEFIN)-COPOLYMERS

Fractions according to the degree of branching of (Ethylene/1-Buten)-Copolymer (LLDPE) were investigated by wide- and small-angle scattering. The thickness of the crystallites is nearly independent of the degree of branching and their volumes reach a limit according to the smallest stable crystal. The mean lattice distortions also do not change remarkably with the degree of branching, but the components of the g(ik) tensors do so. The possibility of partial incorporation of side groups into the crystal lattice is discussed. Comparison of wide- and small-angle scattering shows that only the part of the crystallites with smaller thickness builds lamellar clusters, while thicker ones are individual crystals.