Nucleation and Self-Nucleation of Bio-Based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Probed by Fast Scanning Calorimetry

The present work focuses on the influence of nucleation processes on the crystallization of bio-based poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF). Nuclei formation has been studied by means of fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) both when cooling from the melt (nonisothermal conditions) and when annealing at either low-or high-temperatures (isothermal conditions). FSC results show that nucleation on cooling can be prevented by using fast rates allowing to keep the polymer in its amorphous state; whereas cooling at moderate rates results in sample nucleation with a subsequent increase of the crystallization rate. Isothermal pretreatment just above the PEF glass transition temperature (T-g) results in nuclei formation whose rate decreases when the nucleation temperature approaches PEF T-g. On the other hand, annealing below the PEF melting point allows determination of the sample self-nucleation behavior which occurs in a very narrow temperature range, i.e., between 195 and 198 degrees C.