The Mesoscopic Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics Approach to Polymer Crystallization

3 The Mesoscopic Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics Approach to Polymer Crystallization 

Nucleation and growth are the most important processes in determining the final morphology of the crystallized polymer and consequently the properties of the material. Both processes can be quite conveniently described within the framework of mesoscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamics. 

Crystallization of polymers is an activated process that may be influenced by the presence of mechanical stresses and external gradients. Clusters are formed at the expense of the metastable phase due to the presence of thermal fluctuations. The process can be modeled by a particle crossing a free energy barrier, whose height depends on the interactions and the external drivings, upon the intervention of 

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