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Application of small system thermodynamics to polymer molecules. II. Secondary nucleation
Author(s) -
Lindenmeyer P. H.,
Beumer H.,
Hosemann R.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760190108
Subject(s) - nucleation , thermodynamics , materials science , crystal (programming language) , kinetic energy , polymer , crystal growth , kinetics , molecule , constant (computer programming) , statistical physics , physics , classical mechanics , computer science , composite material , programming language , quantum mechanics
Statistical mechanical methods can be used to relate not only structure and thermodynamics but also structure and kinetics. Methods are developed for calculating the crystal growth rate kinetic models. When the usual macroscopic thermodynamics are applied, the resulting surface energies, σ and σ e extracted from the experimental growth rates are quite comparable to those obtained from kinetic models. However, when one applies small system thermodynamics, a substantially smaller σ is obtained. This latter assumption has the advantage of explaining why extended chain seed crystals do not promote crystal growth and why folded chain crystals grow on such seeds. The statistical mechanical methods in both of these cases predict the observed decrease in the rate constant, K g with decreasing molecular length without the necessity of a separate theory for varying σ e with molecular length.