CRYSTALLIZATION AND THERMAL-BEHAVIOR OF ISOTACTIC POLY(1-BUTENE) MIXED WITH HYDROGENATED OLIGO(CYCLOPENTADIENE)

The crystallization and thermal behaviour of thin films of isotactic poly(1-butene)/hydrogenated oligo(cyclopentadiene) (PB-1/HOCP) mixtures are studied using differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The mixtures show a single glass transition temperature, whose value is dependent on composition. The overall crystallization rate, the spherulite growth rate and the equilibrium melting temperature of PB-1 decrease on the addition of HOCP. The melting point depression is analysed according to the Flory-Huggins theory and a negative interaction parameter is obtained. This leads to the hypothesis that PB-1 and HOCP are miscible in the melt even if some specific interactions and morphological effects are evident between the two components.