Eur. Phys. J. E 3, 165-183
From the melt via mesomorphic and granular crystalline layers to lamellar crystallites: A major route followed in polymer crystallization?
G. Strobl
Fakultät für Physik der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität,
79104 Freiburg, Germany
strobl@uni-freiburg.de
Received 17 February 2000 and Received in final form 30 March 2000
Abstract
Based on broad and detailed evidence from a large variety
of experiments on several polymer systems carried out by other
authors and ourselves, a novel concept for understanding the
crystallization of polymers from the melt is developed. The
experiments generally indicate that the formation and growth of the
lamellar crystallites is a multi-step process passing over
intermediate states. We suggest a specific route which is
compatible with the observations. It is proposed that the initial
step is always the creation of a mesomorphic layer which
spontaneously thickens, up to a critical value, where it solidifies
through a cooperative structural transition. The transition
produces a granular crystalline layer, which transforms in the last
step into homogeneous lamellar crystallites. The model leads to
predictions about the temperature dependencies of the crystal
thickness and the growth rate which are at variance with
conventional views but in agreement with findings in recent
experiments.
PACS
61.41.+e Polymers, elastomers, and plastics
- 64.70.-p Specific phase transitions
- 64.60.My Metastable phases
Copyright EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag
