Influence of the conformation of polyethylene on wide‐angle neutron scattering patterns

Abstract

Abstract Wide‐angle neutron scattering investigations of mixtures of deuterated and nondeuterated chains are well suited to detect sequences of regular adjacent reentry folding of a polymer chain in particular crystallographic directions. It is shown that the diffuse neutron scattering intensity is peaked at large scattering angles for (100) and (010) folding, whereas (110) folding is difficult to detect. Detailed calculations indicate that the position, intensity, and half‐width of the diffuse peak depend strongly on the mode of folding as well as on the number of adjacent stems. By a comparison with experimental data adjacent reentry folding in (100) and (010) crystallographic planes with more than five adjacent stems can be excluded. The implications for other folding models containing regular folded chain sequences are discussed.