The growth habit of single polymer crystals

When polymer single crystals are precipitated from dilute solution all the crystals have very nearly the same basic thickness. This thickness increases with increasing temperature of precipitation. This behavior is shown to result from a growth process in which the rate‐controlling step is the coher...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of polymer science 1960-01, Vol.42 (139), p.49-56
Main Author: Price, Fraser P.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:When polymer single crystals are precipitated from dilute solution all the crystals have very nearly the same basic thickness. This thickness increases with increasing temperature of precipitation. This behavior is shown to result from a growth process in which the rate‐controlling step is the coherent nucleation of new layers of crystal upon the nonfolded planes of existing polymer crystals. The essential feature of the theory is the recognition that a nucleus of folded chains can enlarge easily only in directions parallel to the planes of folds. The theory is concerned primarily with the growth of crystals and only secondarily with their birth. It is shown that for polyethylene at reasonable supercoolings all the crystals will have essentially the same thickness and that this thickness should increase with temperature.
ISSN:0022-3832
1542-6238
DOI:10.1002/pol.1960.1204213906