Crystalline morphology and melting behavior of nylon11/ethylene-vinyl alcohol/dicumyl peroxide blends

Nylon 11/ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/dicumyl peroxide (DCP) blends were prepared using a single-screw extruder. The Fourier transcript infrared spectroscopy results showed that strong interactions existed and co-crystallization formed between nylon 11 and EVOH in the presence of DCP. The crystalline morphology and melting behavior was investigated by means of Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized optical microscope (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The WAXD indicated that no crystal structure transition occurred for both nylon 11 and EVOH after the addition of DCP. The spherulites size of nylon 11 became smaller and crystalline bands of EVOH formed in the presence of DCP as revealed by POM observation. Both nylon 11 and its blends exhibited two melting endotherms. The equilibrium melting point for blends was lower than that of nylon 11, it was indicated that the mobility of nylon 11 was hindered after the addition of EVOH and DCP.