Shear-induced crystallization in phase-separated blends of isotactic polypropylene with ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer

The compatibility between isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) in the blends was studied. SAXS analysis indicates that iPP and EPDM phases in the binary blend are incompatible. Isothermal crystallization behaviors of iPP in phase-separated iPP/EPDM were studied by in situ POM equipped with a Linkam shear hot stage. It was found that typical spherulites of iPP were formed both in neat iPP and in iPP/EPDM blends. The radial growth rate (dR/dt) of spherulites of iPP in the blend was not influenced by EPDM phases. Further investigations on isothermal crystallization of iPP in iPP/EPDM after shear with a fixed shear time showed that the crystallization rate of iPP in the blends increased with increasing shear rates, whereas, the crystallization rate was much lower than that of neat iPP. WAXD results showed that β-crystal iPP was formed in neat iPP as well as in iPP/EPDM blends after shearing and the percentage of β-crystal bore a relationship to the applied shear rate. The presence of EPDM resulted in lower percentage of β-crystal in the blends than that in neat iPP under the same constant shear conditions. SAXS experiments revealed that shear flow could induce formation of oriented lamellae in iPP and iPP in the blends, and the presence of EPDM led to a reduced fraction of oriented lamellae.