Crystallization under stress: A theory of fibrillar crystallization

Abstract

AbstractA theory of crystallization in stretched polymer networks is developed. In it, four principal features are incorporated: (i) crosslinks are displaced by growing crystallites, (ii) network chains are constrained to positions compatible with fixed sample shape and volume, (iii) some network chains remain amorphous, and (iv) the relative direction of a chain through a crystallite may not be the same for all chains. The derived network force exhibits a V or U shape with changing temperature in the crystallization zone that is a close replica of the behavior of gutta percha networks. Postulates of fibrillar‐lamellar transitions are not introduced into the calculations.