Morphogenetic Transition in Weak Gelation of Crystallizable Linear Polymers

Fibrillar networks and spherulite assemblies are the two most frequently observed textures in weak gelation of crystallizable linear polymers. We find such two textures in response to the kinetic distinction between instability/spinodal and metastability/nucleation of the polymer crystallization and prove the morphogenetic transition in between. Moreover, it comes as a surprise when such a transition exhibits a spinodal singularity that reveals a mean-field-like “mesoscopic” phase transition behavior.