The Effects of Blue Dyes on the Properties and Crystallization Behavior of DMDBS-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene

The Effects of Blue Dyes on the Properties and Crystallization Behavior of DMDBS-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Effects of Blue Dyes on the Properties and Crystallization Behavior of DMDBS-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene Yanshu Wang, Chao Yu, Xiuming Liu, Zhilan Jin, Jingwen Li, Shicheng Zhao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Journal of Polymer Research → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The nucleating agent 1,3:2,4-Bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol (DMDBS) improves the transparency of polypropylene (PP) but often induces yellowing. In this study, a complementary color strategy was employed by incorporating trace amounts of commercial blue dyes, including Acid Blue 74, Pigment Blue 15, and Pigment Blue 29, into DMDBS-nucleated isotactic polypropylene (iPP). Their effects on optical properties, mechanical properties and crystallization behavior were investigated. In terms of optical properties, all dyes effectively reduced the yellowness index (YI). Pigment Blue 15 exhibited the strongest effect by fully counteracting yellowing induced by DMDBS at only 0.00005 wt%. Meanwhile, the dyes acted synergistically with DMDBS to reduce haze. Pigment Blue 15 and Pigment Blue 29 decreased haze from 32.3% to 21.3%. Regarding mechanical properties, Pigment Blue 29 showed the most pronounced synergistic effect with DMDBS, increasing the flexural modulus by 8.6%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) results indicated that all blue dyes promoted the crystallization of DMDBS-nucleated iPP. Pigment Blue 15 exhibited the best performance, increasing the crystallization temperature by approximately 4°C, and accelerating crystallization rates. Finally, analysis of the Avrami exponents (n) of iPP and nucleated iPP showed that the addition of dyes did not change the crystallization growth patterns of the nucleated iPP. This study provides a simple and efficient strategy to counteract the yellowing induced by DMDBS and enhance the transparency of the iPP, which shows great potential for industrial production. Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) DMDBS Blue dye Yellowness index Crystallization behavior Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Journal of Polymer Research → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 24 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 19 Nov, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Nov, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8145880","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":550276331,"identity":"7e9a9023-80c8-4496-8e3f-928a78f74f3c","order_by":0,"name":"Yanshu Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanshu","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":550276332,"identity":"af44d17a-1a21-4fc8-a852-77a369511e58","order_by":1,"name":"Chao Yu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chao","middleName":"","lastName":"Yu","suffix":""},{"id":550276333,"identity":"3f368987-5afb-457f-9280-22192a3d3a4e","order_by":2,"name":"Xiuming Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiuming","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":550276334,"identity":"3addc2e7-553b-4c3c-8894-76d28e0f7be7","order_by":3,"name":"Zhilan Jin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhilan","middleName":"","lastName":"Jin","suffix":""},{"id":550276335,"identity":"1241546a-fb00-4bec-9f21-da7e2d8331ae","order_by":4,"name":"Jingwen Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jingwen","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":550276336,"identity":"f602ce11-275d-4d25-95ef-1b3db55ebb01","order_by":5,"name":"Shicheng Zhao","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA00lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCTBpA+MyE60lDUQwNpCi5TAJWuRnNz98+KPmvBz/jPTnDxgqrBMb2M8ewKuFcc4xY2OeY7eNJW7kGDYwnElPbODJS8CrhVkiwUyaseF24gaJHMYGxrbDiQ0SPAZ4tbBJpH+T/Nlwrn6DRPrDBsZ/RGjhkcgxk+BtOJBgIJFg2MDYQIQWCYmcYqBfkg1nnHljOCPhWLpxG08Ofi3yM9I3AkPMTp6/Pf3Bhw811rL97Gfwa0EFCSDfkaB+FIyCUTAKRgEOAACyHEFuWYZMSgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7454-7058","institution":"East China University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shicheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-11-18 13:14:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-026-04827-4","type":"published","date":"2026-03-06T15:58:10+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96975652,"identity":"354c9ad7-5c3a-4354-805c-24fcb056cc9f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-28 08:28:50","extension":"xml","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7819,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"jpolJPOLD2501855.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/09d1a880b23231203713b65c.xml"},{"id":96975651,"identity":"3ce54925-8158-4932-a9a6-6b088e5d9b53","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-28 08:28:50","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":926,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"JPOLD250185532848.go.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/e1d2aebe0cab5c2ee17cdde6.xml"},{"id":96975654,"identity":"772d0d8d-a497-49a1-82d4-31369cc84581","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-28 08:28:50","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":808,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"JPOLD2501855Import.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/38948ee326e6e1bf7e986eb3.xml"},{"id":96975656,"identity":"554718b5-486f-4e46-9fec-c64ad45c1ac4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-28 08:28:50","extension":"xml","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":89431,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"JPOLD25018550enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/2109e620d3729c2ba844ec6f.xml"},{"id":97138147,"identity":"83c8b960-790c-47c2-85b8-59b80c3bccab","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-01 09:58:32","extension":"xml","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":90226,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"JPOLD25018550structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/b9434253ae5b545ab83a7784.xml"},{"id":96975655,"identity":"54830856-763a-4e65-bc2b-bfc991b17dfa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-28 08:28:50","extension":"html","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":97869,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1/c3f7ddef49b18f98815dd000.html"},{"id":104250660,"identity":"c8e1d15f-2e54-49d7-ba34-fddaaf18c40d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-09 16:04:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1815723,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8145880/v1_covered_93676130-3081-4ee1-8508-c891dfba78c6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"The Effects of Blue Dyes on the Properties and Crystallization Behavior of DMDBS-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-polymer-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jpol","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Polymer Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/10965)","snPcode":"10965","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jpol/","title":"Journal of Polymer Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Isotactic polypropylene (iPP), DMDBS, Blue dye, Yellowness index, Crystallization behavior","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe nucleating agent 1,3:2,4-Bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol (DMDBS) improves the transparency of polypropylene (PP) but often induces yellowing. In this study, a complementary color strategy was employed by incorporating trace amounts of commercial blue dyes, including Acid Blue 74, Pigment Blue 15, and Pigment Blue 29, into DMDBS-nucleated isotactic polypropylene (iPP). Their effects on optical properties, mechanical properties and crystallization behavior were investigated. In terms of optical properties, all dyes effectively reduced the yellowness index (YI). Pigment Blue 15 exhibited the strongest effect by fully counteracting yellowing induced by DMDBS at only 0.00005 wt%. Meanwhile, the dyes acted synergistically with DMDBS to reduce haze. Pigment Blue 15 and Pigment Blue 29 decreased haze from 32.3% to 21.3%. Regarding mechanical properties, Pigment Blue 29 showed the most pronounced synergistic effect with DMDBS, increasing the flexural modulus by 8.6%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) results indicated that all blue dyes promoted the crystallization of DMDBS-nucleated iPP. Pigment Blue 15 exhibited the best performance, increasing the crystallization temperature by approximately 4\u0026deg;C, and accelerating crystallization rates. Finally, analysis of the Avrami exponents (n) of iPP and nucleated iPP showed that the addition of dyes did not change the crystallization growth patterns of the nucleated iPP. This study provides a simple and efficient strategy to counteract the yellowing induced by DMDBS and enhance the transparency of the iPP, which shows great potential for industrial production.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Effects of Blue Dyes on the Properties and Crystallization Behavior of DMDBS-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-28 08:28:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8145880/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-11-26T06:47:47+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-25T03:27:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Journal of Polymer Research","date":"2025-11-23T17:47:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-11-19T13:02:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Polymer Research","date":"2025-11-18T08:13:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-polymer-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jpol","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Polymer Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/10965)","snPcode":"10965","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jpol/","title":"Journal of Polymer Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e27f6012-c323-4ba1-84c8-ebc0f3c35782","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 28th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-09T16:01:57+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8145880","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-026-04827-4","journal":{"identity":"journal-of-polymer-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Journal of Polymer Research"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-06 15:58:10","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 6th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-28 08:28:45","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s10965-026-04827-4","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-026-04827-4","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8145880","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8145880","identity":"rs-8145880","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}