Lamellar structure of isothermally crystallized poly-4-methyl pentenet-1

The structure and morphology of isothermally crystallized samples of poly-4-methyl pentene-1 from melt and solution was investigated. The number of interlamellar links, revealed by swelling, was independent of Tc. The lamellar thickness, 350 Å for melt-crystallized and 100 Å for solution-crystallized samples, was independent of crystallization temperature. In both types of samples a mosaic block structure is observed. Initially thinner lamellae increase rapidly in thickness during isothermal crystallization to the limiting thickness. Isothermal recrystallization of solution-crystallized single crystals increased the original 100 Å thickness up to the thickness range observed with melt-crystallized samples. However, the 350 Å thickness for melt-crystallized samples represented a limiting value that could not be increased by annealing or recrystallization.