Homogeneous crystal nucleation in polymers: New insights from fast scanning calorimetry*

Crystallization commonly starts from a (sub)nanoscale nucleus which eventually growth to a crystal. Classical nucleation theory (CNT) provides a qualitative description of these processes. Homogeneous nucleation, to become dominat over heterogeneous nucleation, requires deep undercooling of the polymer melt. At cooling rates of several thousand K/s such states can be reached and the kinetics of homogeneous nucleation becomes accessible. Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), in combination with polarized optical (POM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopy, provides a tool to study homogeneous nucleation and even the thermodynamic stability of the formed nuclei as fuction of nucleation temperature and time.

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