Effect of Ionic Liquids on the Crystallization Kinetics of Various Polymers and Polymer Electrolytes

Abstract Crystallization kinetics of polymers and polymer electrolytes is an attractive area for researchers because it has a direct relation to the structure and property of the polymeric materials. The process where an ordered (crystalline) phase is produced from a disordered amorphous phase is referred to as polymer crystallization. The process of melt crystallization occurs in three steps: (1) primary nucleation, (2) secondary nucleation leading to crystal growth, and (3) secondary crystallization. Modification in the crystallization kinetics behavior of the different polymers/polymer electrolytes due to the incorporation of an ionic liquid (IL) is studied and discussed in this chapter. Crystallization kinetic parameters, such as relative crystallinity (X t ), crystallization half time (t 1/2 ), crystallization rate constant (K), crystallization rate (G), and Avrami exponent (n) have been determined by both isothermal and nonisothermal techniques using differential scanning calorimetry. The experimental results based on both nonisothermal and isothermal methods show that the melt crystallization of polymers/polymer electrolytes slows down significantly with the incorporation of IL in the membranes. The growth of crystallized spherulites has also been monitored and discussed using polarizing optical microscopy, which confirms that the growth rate of crystallized spherulites slows down on the addition of IL in the polymeric membranes.