NONISOTHERMAL CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLYMERS .3. THE MATHEMATICAL-DESCRIPTION OF THE FINAL SPHERULITIC PATTERN

On the basis of the approach presented in the two preceding papers,(1,2) the mathematical description of the final spherulitic patterns formed during nonisothermal crystallization in infinite samples is presented, The distributions of distances from spherulite centers to spherulite inner points, boundaries, and multiple boundary points are evaluated. Also the function describing the spatial correlation between the positions of the spherulite centers is obtained. The expressions for the total amount of interspherulitic boundaries and number of multiple boundary points are derived. The spherulitic structures are analyzed in detail for model modes of crystallization: (1) crystallization with instantaneous nucleation and (2) isokinetic crystallization. The parameters of structure resulting from nonisothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene are predicted and compared with the results of computer simulation of the spherulitic crystallization process.