semi-crystalline

Semi-crystalline plastics are characterised by their complex morphological structure, which has both ordered, crystalline and disordered, amorphous regions. This property makes them a preferred choice for functional parts and machine elements in various applications.

The degree of crystallisation in semi-crystalline plastics is influenced by several factors, including the cooling rate of the polymer melt. Slower cooling leads to a higher degree of crystallisation of the solidified plastic. In addition, isotactic or syndiotactic polymers tend to crystallise more than atactic polymers.

Furthermore, the size of the side chains plays a role: polymers with small side chains have a higher degree of crystallisation than those with large side chains. Cross-linked or branched polymers, on the other hand, usually remain amorphous, as their structure allows less ordering.