The variation of the microstructure within the thickness of moulding plates of two semicrystalline polymers, an isotactic Poly-Propylene and a Poly-Butylene Terephtalate, was observed by optical microscopy technique. These observations allowed specifying the different zones of iso-microstructure within the plate thickness, commonly called “skin zone”, “shear zone”, “post filling zone ”and“ core zone”in terms of crystallite size and zone thickness. The variation of the melting temperature was then analysed by using a local thermal analysis method based on the scanning thermal microscopy technique in each of these zones. Our results show the expected link between the local microstructure and the polymer melting temperature. They also highlight a strong coupling between the microstructure, the material and its processing conditions.

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