Crystallization kinetics and morphology of poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate)

The crystallization kinetics of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate‐ co ‐adipate) (PBS/A) copolyester was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM), respectively. The Avrami and Ozawa equations were used to analyze the isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics, respectively. By using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), PBS/A was identified to have the same crystal structure with that of PBS. The spherulitic growth rates of PBS/A measured in isothermal conditions are very well comparable with those measured by nonisothermal procedures (cooling rates ranged from 0.5 to 15 °C/min). The kinetic data were examined with the Hoffman–Lauritzen nucleation theory. The observed spherulites of PBS/A with different shapes and textures strongly depend on the crystallization temperatures.