A simple lattice model for the basal interface in compressible semi-crystalline polymers

The basal interfacial regions of the laminar crystalline structures growing at moderate under- coolings in melt-crystallizing polymers, are modeled by accommodating a linear chain in a cubic lattice. The model extends previous treatments in that a ÿnite compressibility is also accounted for. It is found that, due to the presence of density gradients: (a) compressibility is responsible of order 10% contributions to the overall basal surface tension, e , in realistic conditions, and (b) the corresponding tight folding energies required to match the observed values of e decrease by order 30%.