Study on the crystallization kinetics of PP/GF composites

The crystallization kinetics and morphology of glass fiber‐reinforced polypropylene (PP/GF) were investigated in this work. Both isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization behaviors of 90PP/10GF, 80PP/20GF, and 70PP/30GF were examined with a DSC instrument. It was found that the addition of glass fiber would increase the crystallization rate of PP and increase the content of β spherulite, which was most likely formed at temperatures between 390 and 400 K. The morphology of spherulites of PP/GF composites were examined with SEM and a polarized microscope. All experimental observations conformed rather well with the theoretical approach, a dynamic crystallization model, proposed in our previous work. The size of α spherulites of PP would decrease at lower crystallization temperature, or at higher cooling rate, or by adding glass fiber in it.