Crystal nucleation kinetics of polyethylene on active centers

Abstract Model of nucleation on active centers is applied to formation of folded chain crystals of polyethylene at low supercooling. Nucleation rate and the total number of nuclei are determined by numerical solution of kinetic equations. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were chosen to get the coincidence with experimental data for the total number of nuclei and the size distribution of nuclei as a function of time. Nucleation rates for various cluster sizes and the exhaustion of active centers due to the phase transition process were determined. It is shown that the number of exhausted active centers, on which crystalline nuclei are formed, increases with time.