Specificity and versatility of nucleating agents toward isotactic polypropylene crystal phases

Nucleating agents with an ≈6.5 Å lattice parameter induced the α phase of isotactic polypropylene (iPP, α‐iPP). A 6.5 Å periodicity is also involved in the nucleating agents for the β phase of iPP (β‐iPP). The similarity in substrate periodicities suggests that some nucleating agents may induce either the α or β phase under different crystallization conditions. 4‐Fluorobenzoic acid, dicyclohexylterephthalamide, and γ‐quinacridone (the latter two are known as β‐iPP nucleators) were tested over a wide range of crystallization temperatures [up to crystallization temperature ( T c ) > 145 °C]. The two former nucleating agents induce exclusively α‐iPP and β‐iPP, respectively. γ‐Quinacridone on the contrary is a versatile agent with respect to the crystal phase generated. More specifically, the same crystal face of γ‐quinacridone induces either β‐iPP or α‐iPP when T c is below or above ≈140 °C.