Study on the brill transition and melt crystallization of nylon 65: A polymer able to adopt a structure with two hydrogen-bonding directions

Real time temperature dependence of X-ray diffraction patterns and infrared spectra for nylon 65, a representative polymer of the even–odd nylon series, was studied. A particular structure based on the establishment of two hydrogen-bonding directions had previously been postulated for this polymer. Therefore, the determination of its temperature-induced transitions is a relevant topic. Results indicate that nylon 65 undergoes a reversible Brill transition at high temperature, leading to a pseudohexagonal chain axis projected unit cell. Furthermore, this polyamide shows a polymorphic transition around 100 °C which is not completely reversible on cooling. Crystallization of nylon 65 was also analyzed by simultaneous WAXD and SAXS synchrotron radiation experiments to determine the evolution of the degree of crystallinity and morphological parameters on cooling. Optical microscopy studies were also performed under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions to distinguish the different spherulitic morphologies. Results reveal that the optical properties of nylon 65 spherulites are different from those of conventional even-even nylon spherulites. Multiple melting peaks associated with lamellae of different thicknesses were observed in the calorimetric heating scan of melt-crystallized samples.