Polymer crystallization: Proper accounting of a wider class of paths to crystallization—variations on a theme of Point

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Point has suggested that during the polymercrystallization process, individual stems form by zippering of monomer segments onto the substrate and that at any time during the zippering process the stem can fold over, thus initiating a new stem. We augment the treatment of Point analytically by allowing each of the subsequent stems to fold any stage in the zippering process rather than only during the forming of the first stem. The problem is isomorphic to the mathematical problem of the growth of a Cayley Tree with infinite branching! Although there is net growth, the rules of growth(crystallization) are such that branches of the tree can be resorbed. By use of a simple renormalization technique, formulae are obtained both for the steady state growth rate and for the lamellar thickness, which for special cases reduce to the Point results. Classical nucleation theory remains valid at low to moderate supercoolings.