Crystallization studies of crystalline–amorphous blends: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)–polystyrene (PS)

Abstract

Crystallization of crystalline–amorphous blends of polyethylene terephthalate–polystyrene (PET–PS) with and without the addition of triphenyl phosphate was followed by differential scanning calorimetry. Triphenyl phosphate acts as a nucleating agent. Thermal studies of various PET–PS compositions, crystallized from melt, have shown a marginal decrease in the rate of crystallization and an increase in the percentage of crystallinity of the blends. Triphenyl phosphate was found to have a nucleation-facilitation effect on 1:1 PET–PS blend composition and also has improved the crystallinity of PET in quenched blends.

Keywords:

• Crystallization
• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Polyblends
• Polyethylene terephthalate
• Polystyrene
• Wide angle x-ray diffractometry

Acknowledgments