Morphological structure of polymers

In the [AM 3 037] dossier, we described the different types of structure that govern the geometry of the isolated macromolecule: assembly of atoms and monomer units, tacticity and conformational architectures. A close relationship exists between this structural level and the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of the final material. However, many of these properties can only be interpreted through intermediate structural scales involving the assembly of a greater or lesser number of macromolecular chains.

The behavior of polymers in the solid state – as opposed to the rubbery or viscous state – results from the two forms of organization that macromolecular chains can adopt, namely those of crystal and glass. In crystals, polymer chains are organized in a three-dimensional order, whereas in glass, macromolecular chains are essentially amorphous.