초록
The effects of an external electric field on the radial growth rate of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) spherulites in PEO/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends and on the morphology of the crystals were studied using a polarizing optical microscope. Since PEO is an electroactive polymer, its crystallization behavior is affected by the presence of an applied external electric field. Even though PEO crystallized to spherulites in normal melt crystallization, it did not grow to spherulites in the presence of an external electric field. PEO in PEO/PMMA blends, however, formed spherulites. Therefore, the radial growth rate could be measured and the effects of the electric field could be estimated. The radial growth rate of spherulite in the blends was found to decrease due to the reduced nucleation and diffusion rates of PEO chains upon application of the electric field. The magnitude of the electric field effect became smaller as PMMA content in the blend increased. FTIR and WAXD results indicated that the crystal form of PEO in PEO/PMMA blends was not affected by the external electric field.
