Structural changes in non-isothermal crystallization process of melt-cooled polyoxymethylene[II] evolution of lamellar stacking structure derived from SAXS and WAXS data analysis

Structural change occurring in the cooling process of polyoxymethylene from the molten state has been investigated by carrying out the temperature dependent measurements of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). In the SAXS experiment the generation of lamellar stacking structure with long period of ca. 14 nm was detected at first and then the new lamellae were inserted in between the already-existing lamellae to give the long period of 7 nm below 140 °C. The SAXS data were analyzed on the basis of lamellar insertion model by taking into account the second kind of paracrystalline disorder about the lamellar stacking mode. The thus obtained results were combined with the previously published infrared spectral data, and the structural change was deduced concretely. The generation of taut tie chains passing through the adjacent lamellae was proposed, which could reasonably explain the observation of infrared bands characteristic of extended-chain-crystal-like morphology.