Crystallization in Unstretched Rubber. Microscopic Study in Polarized Light
Abstract Since many elastomers indicate by their physical properties that crystallization occurs even when such crystallization is not detectable by x-ray diffraction, a direct microscopic study in polarized light was undertaken. This study confirms the presence of such crystallinity not only in rubber but also in polybutadiene and some low-temperature copolymers. Furthermore, the same crystal pattern is reproduced on melting and refreezing provided the intermediate melting temperature is not too high. This indicates that x-ray diffraction is not a very sensitive method for detecting small amounts of crystallinity in high polymers. The reproduction of the crystal pattern on refreezing shows that the molecular segments have limited mobility even at room temperature; this may require revision of current theories of the origin of retractive forces in elastomers.