SIMULATION OF GROWTH AND SURFACE ROUGHENING OF POLYMER SINGLE-CRYSTALS

The growth of polymer single crystals has been simulated with the thre e-dimensional 'entropic barrier' model according to Sadler and Gilmer. The growth rate and lamellar thickness behaviour typical for polymers has been reproduced for a large range of interaction energy parameter s. An increase in the slope of the growth-rate plot at high undercooli ng can be linked to a kinetic roughening of the basal plane. Furthermo re, there is evidence for a near-equilibrium roughening of the basal p lane. The fractal dimension of the 'rough' basal plane was determined to be ca. 2.2. Rough growth was found to lead to a splitting of the la mella in some cases.