A New Model for Structure of Poly (ethylene terephthalate) in its Glassy State

A new realistic, structural model is proposed for the glassy solid state of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The model is considered basing on crystallization behaviors from the glassy state of PET, and in particular including the evidence from the estimation of chain folding energy in this report. When PET is quenched from its melt into the glassy state, irregular folds with lower conformational energy remain in glassy structure and disturb the three dimensional arrangement of the chains connected with the folds. In conclusion, we suggested that the structure of glassy PET is not in amorphous state which is represented by the interpenetrating random coil model, but in frozen metastable state which can be approached from the chain folded structure of polymer crystals.