The effect of maleic-anhydride-grafted polypropylene
compatibilizer
on the crystallization behavior of two isotactic polypropylene homopolymers
is experimentally investigated under both quiescent and shear flow
conditions. A traditional combination of optical microscopy and calorimetric
techniques is used to quantify crystal nucleation and growth rates
and suggests a minute increase in nucleation density when the compatibilizer
is added. The flow properties of these systems are assessed by means
of oscillatory shear rheometry. The altered flow characteristics can
be explained based on the molecular weight distribution of the individual
blend components, and no influence of maleic anhydride incorporation
on the rheological properties is found. While the addition of a small
amount of this compatibilizer thus leads to only a slight acceleration
of the crystallization kinetics in quiescent conditions, it markedly
enhances the crystallization rate when a mild (and strong) shear flow
is applied. In the latter case, the resulting morphology and crystal
modification are considerably different as compared to crystallization
conditions without the presence of flow; in addition to having significantly
faster flow-induced crystallization kinetics (I), when the system
contains maleic anhydride compatibilization, the formation of oriented
structures is hindered (II), and the appearance of the β-modification
is suppressed (III) with respect to the homopolymers, which in turn
affects the mechanical properties of the material. This result highlights
the importance of understanding the crystallization kinetics under
processing relevant conditions in order to get a step closer toward
full control over the crystallizing microstructure and the subsequent
mechanical performance of polyolefin-based composites.