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Polymer Crystallization

Collaborators:

Jens-Uwe Sommer and Rajdeep Singh Payal.

Introduction:

Crystallization of polymers leads to ordering and structure formation on various scales. During crystallization polymers undergo a transition from random coils to fully extended or folded conformations while forming quasi-two-dimensional lamellar structures which can further develop spherulitic and other growth patterns on larger scales. Polymer crystallization proceeds far from thermodynamic equilibrium and the resulting crystalline morphologies are usually meta-stable. The non-equilibrium character of polymer crystals is a challenge for their theoretical understanding.We study polymer crystallization using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and develop models for the understanding of polymer crystallization processes and the properties of polymer crystals.

Topics

Nucleation and reorganization of polymer crystals

Single lamellar growth self seeding

The search for precursors

Highlights:

  1. C.-F. Luo and J.-U. Sommer
    Growth Pathway and Precursor States in Single Lamellar Crystallization: MD Simulations
    Macromolecules 44 (2011) 1523
  2. C.-F. Luo and J.-U. Sommer
    Coexistence of Melting and Growth during Heating a Semi-crystalline Polymer
    Physical Review Letters 102 (2009) 147801