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Self-Nucleation of Crystalline Phases Within Homopolymers, Polymer Blends, Copolymers, and Nanocomposites

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Polymer Crystallization I

Part of the book series: Advances in Polymer Science ((POLYMER,volume 276))

Abstract

Self-nucleation (SN) is a special nucleation process triggered by self-seeds or self-nuclei that are generated in a given polymeric material by specific thermal protocols or by inducing chain orientation in the molten or partially molten state. SN increases the nucleation density of polymers by several orders of magnitude, producing significant modifications to their morphology and overall crystallization kinetics. In fact, SN can be used as a tool for investigating the overall isothermal crystallization kinetics of slow-crystallizing materials by accelerating the primary nucleation stage in a previous SN step. Additionally, SN can facilitate the formation of one particular crystalline phase in polymorphic materials. The SN behavior of a given polymer is influenced by its molecular weight, molecular topology, and chemical structure, among other intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics. This review paper focuses on the applications of DSC-based SN techniques to study the nucleation, crystallization, and morphology of different types of polymers, blends, copolymers, and nanocomposites.

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Acknowledgments

The POLYMAT/UPV/EHU team would like to acknowledge funding from the following projects: “UPV/EHU Infrastructure: INF 14/38”; “MINECO/FEDER: SINF130I001726XV1/Ref.: UNPV13-4E-1726” and “MINECO MAT2014-53437-C2-2-P”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Polímeros USB, Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Apartado 89000, Caracas, 1080-A, Venezuela

    R. M. Michell & A. J. Müller

  2. Faculty of Chemistry, POLYMAT and Polymer Science and Technology Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018, Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain

    A. Mugica, M. Zubitur & A. J. Müller

  3. IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain

    A. J. Müller

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  1. R. M. Michell
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  2. A. Mugica
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  3. M. Zubitur
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  4. A. J. Müller
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Correspondence to A. J. Müller .

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  1. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy

    Finizia Auriemma

  2. Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    Giovanni Carlo Alfonso

  3. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy

    Claudio de Rosa

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Michell, R.M., Mugica, A., Zubitur, M., Müller, A.J. (2015). Self-Nucleation of Crystalline Phases Within Homopolymers, Polymer Blends, Copolymers, and Nanocomposites. In: Auriemma, F., Alfonso, G., de Rosa, C. (eds) Polymer Crystallization I. Advances in Polymer Science, vol 276. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/12_2015_327

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