Influence of an oriented glassy cylindrical microdomain structure on the morphology of crystallizing lamellae in a semicrystalline block terpolymer

The effect of an oriented microphase-separated structure, induced by an app lied flow bias field (roll casting), on the crystallization of the polyethy lene (PE) block in a semicrystalline polystyrene-block-(polyethylene-alt-pr opylene)-block-polyethylene terpolymer has been analyzed. The orientation a nd morphology of the emerging crystals with respect to the preexisting glas sy cylindrical microdomain structure has been investigated by simultaneous wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron micro scopy. The oriented hexagonally packed cylinders induce oriented crystalliz ation of the PE block in the matrix upon slow cooling below the crystalliza tion temperature. The texture which develops has the b and c axes of the PE crystals predominantly parallel and perpendicular to the PS cylinder axes, respectively. The lateral packing of the PS cylinders is disrupted by the crystallization, but the longitudinal orientation of the cylinders is maint ained.