Microphase separated structures in the solid and molten states of double-crystal graft copolymers of polyethylene and poly(ethylene oxide)

Transitions from one microphase separated structure in the solid state to a different one in the molten state in polyethylene-graft-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers, PE-g-PEO, were investigated by variable temperature X-ray scattering measurements and thermal analyses. Small-angle X-ray scattering patterns from polymers with PEO grafts with 25, 50 and 100 ethylene oxide (EO) units show that the polymer passes through three distinct structures at ∼10 nm length scales with increase in temperature (T): lamellar structures of PE and PEO at T < TmPEO, PE lamellae surrounded by molten PEO at TmPEO < T < TmPE, and microphase separated structures at T > TmPE when both PE and PEO are molten (Tm refers to the melting temperature). These phase transformations also occur during cooling but with hysteresis. Crystalline phases of PEO side chains and PE main chains could be identified in the wide-angle X-ray diffraction profiles indicating that the PE backbone and PEO grafts crystallize into separate domains, especially with longer grafted chains (50 and 100 units). At EO segment lengths > 50, PEO shows the expected increase in melting and crystallization temperatures with the increase in the grafted chain length. PE does not affect TmPEO but does decrease the onset of crystallization upon cooling. PEO grafts result in fractionation of PE, decrease the melting point of PE and increase the undercooling for the onset of crystallization of PE.