Nonequilibrium polymer crystals, free

With the help of measurements of the lamellar thickness, /, by dUatometry, AFM or X-ray, and the melting temperature of the nonequilibrium crystal by DSC, it is possible to obtain the equilibrium melting temperature, T, by extrapolation to infinite lamellar thickness. Next, with Equation (9.7), it is also easy to calculate the fold surface free energy. Usually, the large surface area of the polymer crystal explains irreversibility of the melting process. 

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