Molecular association complex of urea with polyethylene: 2. The new preparation methods and morphological study

New systems for preparing urea-polyethylene complex have been discovered: (a) solid urea-polyethylene solution in xylene with a small amount of aniline; (b) solid urea with seeds-polyethylene solution in xylene. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the complex consisted of lamellae of the order of 1000 Å in size. Polyethylene molecules perpendicular to the lamellae exist as extended chains in the hexagonal urea tunnels, much as paraffin molecules in the urea-paraffin complex. Extended chain crystals similar to those crystallized under high pressure were obtained by elimination of the skeletal urea lattices of the complex by methanol. This morphology reflects the conformation of the guest polyethylene molecules.