NONCRYSTALLINE ORDER IN SWOLLEN SYNDIOTACTIC POLYSTYRENE

The syndiotactic polystyrene shows a complex polymorphism, and the structural organization depends on thermal or solvent treatments. The effect of different solvents on oriented samples crystallized in a zigzag conformation has been investigated, and in some cases a transition to the helix conformation is observed. The obtained results show that the transition occurs through an intermediate amorphous state in which the molecular orientation is maintained. This evidence points to the conclusion that some kind of noncrystalline order is present in the intermediate swollen state.