Polymer Crystallization

This chapter presents an overview of polymer crystallization upon cooling the melt, or heating the glass. Inter- and intramolecular forces drive many polymers to develop ordered structures at the nanometer- and micrometer-scale. These structures ultimately control bulk material properties and influence the selection of a given polymer for specific applications. Polymer crystallization proceeds via crystal nucleation and growth, and both processes are discussed and analyzed thoroughly herein. Together with these key features of polymer crystallization, the influence of crystal formation on the coupled amorphous fraction is also described. The chapter is completed with analysis of crystallization in polymer blends, and crystallization in industrial processing, with main aspects of flow-induced crystallization detailed.