Crystallization liquid-glass transition

Sun Y, Xi H et al (2008a) Crystallization near glass transition transition from diffusion-controlled to diffusionless crystal growth studied with seven polymorphs. J Phys Chem B 112(18) 5594-5601 Sun Y, Xi H et al (2008b) Diffusionless crystal growth from glass has precursor in equilibrium liquid. J Phys Chem B 112(3) 661-664... 

A liquid state theory has been developed on the basis of an ideal liquid, which is a hard-sphere liquid. Usually, thus, a random disordered structure of liquid has been assumed. This is the basis for the description of liquid by the two-body density correlator, or the radial distribution function g r). Recent studies indicate this picture is not sufficient even for a hard-sphere liquid [46,47], The assumption of a disorder structure of a liquid is always correct as the zeroth order approximation. However, we believe that a physical description beyond this is prerequisite for understanding unsolved fundamental problems in a liquid state, which include thermodynamic and kinetic anomalies of water type liquids, liquid-liquid transition, liquid glass transition, and crystal nucleation. 

To provide a rational framework in terms of which the student can become familiar with these concepts, we shall organize our discussion of the crystal-liquid transition in terms of thermodynamic, kinetic, and structural perspectives. Likewise, we shall discuss the glass-liquid transition in terms of thermodynamic and mechanistic principles. Every now and then, however, to impart a little flavor of the real world, we shall make reference to such complications as the prior history of the sample, which can also play a role in the solid behavior of a polymer. 

Figure 4.3b is a schematic representation of the behavior of S and V in the vicinity of T . Although both the crystal and liquid phases have the same value of G at T , this is not the case for S and V (or for the enthalpy H). Since these latter variables can be written as first derivatives of G and show discontinuities at the transition point, the fusion process is called a first-order transition. Vaporization and other familiar phase transitions are also first-order transitions. The behavior of V at Tg in Fig. 4.1 shows that the glass transition is not a first-order transition. One of the objectives of this chapter is to gain a better understanding of what else it might be. We shall return to this in Sec. 4.8. 

The most common type of glass transition is one that occurs for many liquids when they are cooled quickly below their freezing temperature. With rapid cooling, eventually a temperature region is reached where the translational and rotational motion associated with the liquid is lost, but the positional and orientational order associated with a crystal has not been achieved, so that the disorder remains frozen in. The loss of both translational and rotational motion leads to a large increase in viscosity and a large decrease in heat capacity. 

Liquid crystalline solutions as such have not yet found any commercial uses, but highly orientated liquid crystal polymer films are used to store information. The liquid crystal melt is held between two conductive glass plates and the side chains are oriented by an electric field to produce a transparent film. The electric field is turned off and the information inscribed on to the film using a laser. The laser has the effect of heating selected areas of the film above the nematic-isotropic transition temperature. These areas thus become isotropic and scatter light when the film is viewed. Such images remain stable below the glass transition temperature of the polymer. 

The members of Class II in Table 1 present very small enthalpies of the mesophase-liquid transition [ AHml < 0.5 kJ/(mol of chain bonds)], suggesting that their mesophase is hardly stabilized by specific interatomic interactions. By contrast, we point out that in all cases the crystal-mesophase transition has a significant enthalpy value, mostly AHqm > 1 kJ/(mol of chain bonds). Consistent with their relatively flexible character, the polymers listed in the Tables have their glass transition below ambient temperature. 

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