On crystallization of polypropylene on atomically flat silicate substrate and relationship to mechanical properties

Phyllosilicates including mica offer one of the easiest methods to obtain atomically flat surface of macroscopic size by cleavage. Thus, thin films of polypropylene crystallized at different pressure and as a function of polypropylene concentration were investigated. The objective was to probe the nucleation and chain organization in thin films on basal plane surface from the view point of relating the nucleation and growth process to the intergallery space between the clay layers. The crystal morphology was altered from leaf-like structure at high undercooling to fully developed spherulites at low undercooling. Furthermore, the lamellae structure change from well-oriented to cross-hatched with increase in the crystallization pressure was indicative of epitaxial growth between polymer matrix and mica surface. The possible epitaxial mechanism is discussed here. The study provides a method to explore the macro- and microstructure of polymer and epitaxy between polymer matrix and inorganic particle surface. The good interfacial bonding favored by epitaxial crystallization is beneficial for toughness.