CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS AND MORPHOLOGY OF POLY(FERROCENYLDIMETHYLSILANE)

A series of poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilanes) were prepared via anionic ring-opening polymerization. The isothermal crystallization kinetics w ere investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry and ana lyzed in terms of the Avrami equation. The value of the Avrami exponen t is approximately 3 for the majority of samples and crystallization t emperatures. This suggests a three-dimensional spherulitic growth and an instantaneous nucleation mechanism. The morphology of melt-crystall ized samples was studied by atomic force microscopy. Hedrites (immatur e spherulites) were formed at low undercoolings whereas at high levels of undercooling mature, well developed spherulites were observed with small hedritic features in their center. The melting enthalpy for a 1 00% crystalline polymer was estimated to be 36 J/g from differential s canning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction data obtained by using speci mens with different degrees of crystallinity.