Two Distinct Types of Spherulite in Poly (ethylene oxide)

Fujiwara's oriented crystallization method was applied to poly (ethylene oxide) to obtain a uniform texture composed of parallel fibrils which correspond to the structure of a radial direction of spherulites. Two different x-ray diffraction patterns in crystallite orientation of the spherulite radius were obtained. From these patterns and crystallization conditions it could be determined that the spherulite radius has a [401] rotation axis below about 50℃ and two [421] and [421]rotation axes above about 50℃. A reasonable interpretation was given for these two ways of spherulitic crystallization, based on the growth features of lamellar crystals of poly (ethylene oxide). That is, it is concluded that a second order transition in poly (ethylene oxide) lamellar crystals near the temperature of 50℃ is responsible for the change of the rotation axis in spherulite radius.