Effect of ionic liquid on the crystallization kinetics behaviour of polymer poly(ethylene oxide)

Modification in the crystallization kinetics behaviour of the polymer poly(ethylene oxide) due to the incorporation of an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate; BMIMPF6) has been studied. The PEO + x wt% BMIMPF6 polymer films were prepared by a solution casting technique. Crystallization kinetic parameters, such as relative crystallinity (Xt), crystallization half time (t1/2), crystallization rate constant (K), crystallization rate (G) and Avrami exponents (n), have been determined by both isothermal and non-isothermal techniques using DSC. The experimental results based on both non-isothermal and isothermal methods show that the melt crystallization of PEO slows down significantly with the incorporation of BMIMPF6 in the membranes. The growth of crystallized spherulites has also been monitored by polarizing optical microscope (POM), which confirms that the growth rate of crystallized spherulites slows down on the addition of BMIMPF6 in the polymeric membranes.