KINETICS OF POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION

The methods, models, theoretical developments and techniques for the study of kinetics of polymer crystallisation are described and discussed. Some of the pertinent fundamental issues and recent results, especially of polymer crystallisation under non-isothermal conditions and crystallisation of polymer blends, are surveyed. It is demonstrated that non-isothermal crystallisation under varying cooling rates can be described and predicted through an integral method. Hot-stage microscopy, improved by the technique of digital image processing and analysis, is useful for the study of the kinetics and mechanisms of polymer crystallisation through establishing a relationship between nucleation, spherulite growth and overall crystallisation rate. The effect of polymer blending on crystallisation is discussed on the basis of two fundamental factors: nucleation and spherulite growth.