Phase-separation phenomena in solutions of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide). III. Pulse-induced critical scattering of solutions in toluene

For the polymer-solvent system poly(phenylene oxide) in toluene the mechanism and kinetics of crystallization have been studied with the Pulse Induced Critical Scattering technique. It was found that after a delay-time the growth mechanism was diffusion controlled. The delay-time is thought to be connected with the nucleation of the crystallites and it disappeared in the seeded crystallizations studied. After incomplete melting of crystallites the first stages of growth resemble a condensation reaction.