Structures of 12-hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA)/ phenyl methyl silicone gel and the gelation process were investigated by means of synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and polarized optical microscopy (POM). Spherulite structures were formed at low temperatures, while helical aggregates without branching were observed at high temperatures. The morphological transformation from spherulites into helical aggregates occurred during a heating process but not vice versa. Combined synchrotron SAXS and POM studies reveal that the morphological transformation is associated with polymorphs of 12-HSA crystal. Thermal stability and formation kinetics of the aggregates and the polymorphs are discussed in the text.
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