Separation of components of different molecular mobility by calorimetry, dynamic mechanical and dielectric spectroscopy

The relaxation strength at the glass transition for semi-crystalline polymers observed by different experimental methods shows significant deviations from a simple two-phase model. Introduction of a rigid amorphous fraction, which is non-crystalline but does not participate in the glass transition, allows a description of the relaxation behavior of such systems. The question arises when does this amorphous material vitrify. Our measurements on PET identify no separate glass transition and no devitrification over a broad temperature range. Measurements on a low molecular weight compound which partly crystallizes supports the idea that vitrification of the rigid amorphous material occurs during formation of crystallites. The reason for vitrification is the immobilization of co-operative motions due to the fixation of parts of the molecules in the crystallites. Local movements (beta-relaxation) are only slightly influenced by the crystallites and occur in the whole non-crystalline fraction.