| Abstract: | The crystallization and morphology of reactor-made blends of isotactic polypropylene (PP) with a large content of ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) (i.e., > 50%) were investigated. In the blends, PP was found to form spherulites during the crystallization process, with the growth rate constant under isothermal conditions. For crystallization temperatures in the range of 118–152°C, the birefringence of the spherulites varied from negative to positive by decreasing crystallization temperature, while homopolypropylene (homo-PP), the same as used in the blends as a matrix, showed negative spherulites in the whole temperature range investigated (118–152°C). Both the spherulite growth rate and the overall crystallization rate were slower for the blends than for homo-PP. The density of the crystallization nuclei was lower in the blends than in the homo-PP. It was concluded that a large amount of EPR content in the reactor-made blends of PP retards and hinders the crystallization of the matrix. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1007–1014, 1997 |
