POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION - FOLD SURFACE FREE-ENERGY DETERMINATION BY DIFFERENT THERMAL-ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Three different thermal analysis techniques (DSC, and hot-stage optica l microscopy equipped with a photodiode to measure light depolarizatio n or a video system to measure spherulitic growth) were used to study polymer crystallization. The fold surface free energy (sigma(e)) value s from different analytical methods on five polymers are compared. The overall crystallization data always yield sigma(e) values 15-50% high er than those obtained from the more direct method of measuring growth rate.