This volume introduces and reports on the state-of-the-art regarding both theoretical and experimental aspects of phase transitions in polymeric solutions or melts that lead to crystallization. Written in the form of a set of self-contained reviews, the book is both a modern and comprehensive source of reference and an introduction into the field for nonspecialist researchers and postgraduate students.

Klappentext

The classical view on polymer crystallization basically focused on the expla- tion of a few macroscopically observable parameters like the thickness of the resulting lamellar structure and the corresponding growth rates. However, the emerging paradigm for the description of chain crystals is too simple and cannot account for the complex non-equilibrium processes responsible for structure f- mation on various levels, ranging from the nanometer up to the millimeter scale. This complexity detected by several novel experimental results led to a renewed interest in this "old" topic of polymer crystallization. These new ?ndings c- cern the early stages of the crystallization process, crystal formation in con?ned geometries like ultra-thin ?lms and the competition between (micro)phase s- aration and crystallization in copolymers and blends. In particular, high spatial resolution techniques such as atomic force microscopy provided deeper insight into the molecular organization of crystallizable polymers. Computer simu- tions based on microscopic processes were used to improve our understanding of how polymer crystals are nucleated and how they grow. New ideas emerged about possible multistage pathways which are followed during the formation of polymer lamellae. The importance and the consequences of the non-equilibrium character of polymer crystals got signi?cantly more attention. Links and ana- gies to growth phenomena and pattern formation in general are being developed. However, these ideas are still subject of intensive and controversial discussions.

Inhalt

Polymer Crystallization Viewed in the General Context of Particle Formation and Crystallization.- Role of Metastable Phases in Polymer Crystallization; Early Stages of Crystal Growth.- A Comparative Study of the Mechanisms of Initial Crystallization and Recrystallization after Melting in Syndiotactic Polypropene and Isotactic Polystyrene.- Polymer Crystallization Viewed by Magnetic Alignment.- Following Crystallization in Polymers Using AFM.- Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Semicrystalline Polymers at Variable Temperature.- Crystallization of Polymers in Thin Films: Model Experiments.- A Generic Model for Growth and Morphogenesis of Polymer Crystals in Two Dimensions.- Structure Formation and Chain-Folding in Supercooled Polymer Melts. Some Ideas from MD Simulations with a Coarse-Grained Model.- Lamellar Ethylene Oxide-Butadiene Block Copolymer Films as Model Systems for Confined Crystallisation.- Crystallization Kinetical Peculiarities in Polymer Blends.- Dendritic Growth of Polyethylene Oxide on Patterned Surfaces.- Vitrification and Devitrification of the Rigid Amorphous Fraction in Semicrystalline Polymers Revealed from Frequency Dependent Heat Capacity.- Probing Crystallization Studying Amorphous Phase Evolution.- Modeling Polymer Crystallization: DSC Approach.- A Computational Model for Processing of Semicrystalline Polymers: The Effects of Flow-Induced Crystallization.- Physical Cross Links in Amorphous PET, Influence of Cooling Rate and Ageing.- Maximum Crystal Growth Rate and Its Corresponding State in Polymeric Materials.- Lamellar Growth in Melt-Crystallizing Polymers: Some Effect Related to a Nucleating Agent.- Outlook and Open Questions: A Personal View.