Non‐Isothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene in dotriacontane. II: Effects of dilution, cooling rate, and nucleating agent addition on growth rate

Non‐isothermal crystallization growth rates of nucleated and non‐nucleated isotactic polypropylene (iPP) in dotriacontane were determined experimentally by thermal optical microscopy. Adipic acid was used as the nucleating agent. The non‐isothermal growth rates of the nucleated and non‐nucleated systems were compared with experimentally determined isothermal growth rates. The Lauritzen and Hoffman growth rate equation, originally developed for isothermal crystallization, was modified to describe the non‐isothermal growth. The modified Lauritzen‐Hoffman equation was used to predict isothermal growth rates from non‐isothermal crystallization for the nucleated and non‐nucleated polymer‐diluent mixtures. This study is the first to deal with polymer‐diluent‐nucleating agent systems vital to membrane production.