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The formation of trigonal Form I crystals of polybutene-1 (PB-1) directly from melt has drawn much attention in past decades. In this study, we investigate the fractionated crystallization behavior of PB-1 within microdomains formed by blending PB-1 with an excess of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) employing DSC, SEM, in situ synchrotron WAXD and FTIR. When PB-1 is dispersed into a large number of small size droplets, the heterogeneous nucleation of Form II crystals can be inhibited because the number of droplets is larger than that of active nucleation sites for Form II (i.e., active heterogeneities originally present in bulk PB-1). The crystallization rate of Form I at different temperatures was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that trigonal Form I crystallizes faster when the content of PB-1 in the blend is lower, and the specific interfacial surface area is larger. The opposite effect has been observed for the kinetics of the metastable Form II formation. It is therefore suggested that Form I crystallization is driven by the nucleation of PB-1 at the crystalline iPP surface, which competes with the crystallization of Form II induced by nucleating heterogeneities present in PB-1 droplets.

Maintaining stability of ecosystem functions in the face of global change calls for a better understanding regulatory factors of functionally specialized microbial groups and their population response to disturbance. In this study, we explored this issue by collecting soils from 54 managed ecosystems in China and conducting a microcosm experiment to link disturbance, elemental stoichiometry, and genetic resistance. Soil carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry imparted a greater effect on the abundance of microbial groups associated with main C, N, and P biogeochemical processes in comparison with mean annual temperature and precipitation. Nitrogen cycling genes, including bacterial amoA-b, nirS, narG, and norB, exhibited the highest genetic resistance to N deposition. The amoA-a and nosZ genes exhibited the highest resistance to warming and drying-wetting cycles, respectively. Soil total C, N, and P contents and their ratios had a strong direct effect on the genetic resistance of microbial groups, which was dependent on mean annual temperature and precipitation. Specifically, soil C/P ratio was the main predictor of N cycling genetic resistance to N deposition. Soil total C and N contents and their ratios were the main predictors of P cycling genetic resistance to N deposition, warming, and drying-wetting. Overall, our work highlights the importance of soil stoichiometric balance for maintaining the ability of ecosystem functions to withstand global change. IMPORTANCE To be effective in predicting future stability of soil functions in the context of various external disturbances, it is necessary to follow the effects of global change on functionally specialized microbes related to C and nutrient cycling. Our study represents an exploratory effort to couple the stoichiometric drivers to microbial populations related with main C, N, and P cycling and their resistances to global change. The abundance of microbial groups involved in cellulose, starch, and xylan degradation, nitrification, N fixation, denitrification, organic P mineralization, and inorganic P dissolution showed a high stoichiometry dependency. Resistance of these microbial populations to global change could be predicted by soil C:N:P stoichiometry. Our work highlights that stoichiometric balance in soil C and nutrients is instrumental in maintaining the stability and adaptability of ecosystem functions under global change.

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Copolymerization for making propylene-based random copolymers is an important strategy to broaden the applications of polypropylene, such as propylene random copolymer with b-nucleating agent as hot water pipes. In the present work, a b-nucleated propylene-ethylene random copolymer (P-E copolymer) containing a low content of ethylene (5.6 mol%) was subjected to uniaxial stretching at 30 and 100 C.The structural evolution during deformation was investigated by in situ X-ray scattering using synchrotron radiation. An interesting temperature dependence of the deformation feature of b-crystal was observed. The b-crystal in the sample transformed to mesophase at 30 C and to a-crystal at 100 C. Molecular chains in b-crystal stretched at 30 C was identified to be perpendicular to the stretching direction, while they tended to be parallel to the direction at 100 C. On the other hand, cavitation was observed in b-nucleated P-E copolymer when stretched at 30 C. As the tensile temperature reached 100 C, no cavities could be detected. A deformation model of the b-nucleated P-E copolymer combining crystal transition, cavitation and orientation depending on the drawing temperature was described.

Propylene‐based propylene–ethylene random copolymer (PPR) has been widely used in the production of hot‐water pipes. To further improve its toughness and thermal resistance, β‐nucleating agents (β‐NAs) are frequently incorporated. In this study, PPR containing 5.6 mol % ethylene units was modified by two kinds of β‐NAs, that is, calcium pimelate and N,N′‐dicyclohexylterephthalamide. The notched Izod impact strength of PPR increased with the addition of the β‐NAs. Drastically different toughening effects were found between the two β‐NAs. The structure of PPR with and without a β‐NA was investigated by calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, and thermomechanical analysis. The results indicated that the relative fraction of β crystals (kβ) in the injection‐molded specimens was determined by the type and content of β‐NA. The relationship between kβ and the impact toughness was summarized. A critical value for kβ (0.68) was identified for the brittle–ductile transition of PPR. PPR with β‐NA having a kβ greater than 0.68 displayed a higher impact strength than the other mixtures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42930.

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