Activity of substrates in the catalyzed nucleation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) melts

The activity, Φ of AgBr, AgI, PbF₂, Ag₂S, LiF, and CaF₂ in the catalyzed nucleation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) melts was determined using a nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. A comparison with existing experimental data was made. It is established that the higher the melting temperature of the substrate the lower its activity as a crystallization core in the heterogeneous nucleation of PET. The lateral surface energy, σ, the end surface energy, σ_e, the adhesion energy, β, and the difference between the surface energies at the substrate/melt, σ_sf, substrate/deposit, σ^*, and the total energy of misfit dislocations, E_d [i.e., σ_sf - (σ^* - E_d)] were calculated. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 349–353, 1997