Morphology growth habit

At a higher structural level, the intercrystalline structures or the polymer morphology will be examined. These structures result from the crystal growth habit of the polymer. Most of the published work in this field relates to structures at the molecular level and, in particular, to the polymer chain conformation. The chain conformation is of particular interest, because it is strongly coupled to the electronic structures and the very interesting UV absorption characteristics of these polymers. 

The morphological development of a precipitate is a complex combination of a variety of processes, including nucleation, growth, habit modification, phase transformation, ripening, agglomeration, and so on. The dominant system parameters are supersaturation and the level of active impurities, although in some aqueous systems pH can also exert a profound effect. 

The morphology and habit exhibited by a crystal are controlled by a combination of the internal crystal structure of the unit cell and the external growth parameters. The morphology that is observed is in general a consequence of... 

The terms lamella and crystallite are often used interchangeably when referring to polyethylene morphology. Strictly speaking, a lamella is a specific type of crystalhte, which in turn is a microscopic crystal. As the major growth habit of semicrystalline polyethylene is lamellar, the two terms are used interchangeably in this work unless a clear distinction is made. 

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