Glass transition studies in physically aged partially crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) by TSC

Physical ageing in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) and thermally stimulated polarization currents (TSPC) as a function of the material crystallinity degree. Calorimetric measurements confirm the presence of two separated glass transitions in partially crystallized samples (x(c) = 27%), associated with the presence of two different amorphous regions: the interspherulitic region and the interlamellar region within the spherulites. The alpha peak obtained by TSDC shows the progressive decrease of the chain segments mobility in the amorphous fraction as ageing progresses. The increase in the crystallinity degree of the material also produces a decrease of the mobility in the amorphous fraction. In this case the decrease observed is associated with the interlamellar conformation of these regions. However, TSDC measurements do not show evidences of a double glass transition. TSPC measurements on;aged samples show a current peak, which is directly related to the polarization of the amorphous regions when mobility is recovered above the glass transition. The study of these peaks in aged partially crystallized samples shows evidences of a double glass transition associated with theinterspherulitic and interlamellar amorphous regions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.