Polymer crystallization rate challenges: The art of chemistry and processing

The intention of this study is to discuss scientific advances toward one very important challenge in the polymer processing industry: How does one increase the crystallization rate of slow-to-crystallize polymeric materials, thereby facilitating processing and enabling peak product performance? In the medical device field, where both government-controlled regulatory entities and medical professionals closely scrutinize the biocompatibility of added crystallization rate enhancers, achieving these twin goals has always been challenging. Herein, we present a review of various chemical and physical approaches used to tune the crystallization rate of semicrystalline polymers, with a strong emphasis on two novel approaches recently discovered and developed in our laboratories. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42066.