Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and predictive modeling in the solidification of poly(cyclohexylene dimethylene cyclohexanedicarboxylate) melt

Abstract

Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of polycyclohexylene dimethylene cyclohexanedicarboxylate (PCCE) were investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Isothermal melt crystallization kinetics were analyzed using the traditional Avrami equation. Non-isothermal melt crystallization kinetics data obtained from DSC were analyzed using the extended Avrami relation and a combination of the Avrami equation and the Ozawa relationship. The glass transition temperature, equilibrium melting point, isothermal crystallization activation energy, and non-isothermal crystallization activation energy were determined. Furthermore, a predictive method based on the Nakamura model was proposed and was used to describe the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics based on the isothermal experimental data. The results suggested that the original Nakamura equation was not successful in describing the non-isothermal crystallization of PCCE over a wide range of cooling rates. It was found that the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PCCE, over a wide range of cooling rates, could best be described by modifying the differential Nakamura equation to include a varied Avrami index.