Effects of topological constraints in polymer melts on crystallization and structure formation (A01)

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We study the effect of the constraints exerted by the topological structure and the dynamics of the entangled polymer melt, and of the presence or absence of chain dynamics within the crystallites, on the crystallization and on the semicrystalline morphology of polymers. Extending the number of model materials beyond the so far studied cases of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(ethylene oxide), including now in particular copolymers, we investigate the structure formation and the resulting morphology in a systematic way by combining small angle x-ray scattering, optical microscopy, DSC, rheology and solid-state NMR. Special emphasis is given to investigating the properties of the amorphous fraction of the semi-crystalline materials, in which the density of entanglements plays a decisive role.