Effect of melt history on the crystallization kinetics of poly(phenylene sulfide)

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the effects of melt history on the isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS). Crystallization of the polymer was shown to be permanently altered by both the time and the temperature spent in the melt. Suggested explanations are nonequilibrium melting, chain scission, chain extension, and crosslinking. Molecular weight was also shown to affect the rates of these processes, PPS of lower molecular weight being more susceptible to the observed changes.