Structural evolution analysis and cold-crystallization kinetics of spherical crystals in poly(trimethylene terephthalate) film using Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Dynamic processes and the structural evolution of cold-crystallized poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) film were investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Raman scattering of CO stretching vibration was related to the molecular chain movement and structure evolution in PTT during cold crystallization. In particular, information about each phase of crystallization, including induction, nucleation, nucleus growth, and secondary crystallization, was thoroughly revealed. The experimental results indicated that the kinetic parameters measured by the Raman method were in good agreement with those obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared spectroscopy. The blue-shifted CO stretching vibration resulting from the crystallization process is a popular phenomenon and may therefore have many potential applications in a wide range of areas.