The melt memory effects in polymer crystallization

Abstract This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the melt memory effects observed in polymers, an area that has engendered considerable debate for over 50 years. Recent advances in experimental techniques have provided fresh insights into how a polymer's thermal history influences its recrystallization behavior. It has been observed that given other conditions unchanged, the crystallization temperature during recrystallization decreases with an increase in the melt temperature T s above the melting point T m until a critical melt temperature is attained. This phenomenon also extends to the half‐time of crystallization and the secondary structures, such as lamellar thickness, of semi‐crystalline polymers. Despite these findings, a comprehensive constitutive model that encapsulates polymer melt memory effects remains elusive. Cutting‐edge instrumentation, including in situ small and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, temperature‐controlled Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and flash differential scanning calorimetry, have posed significant challenges to the traditional nucleation and growth models established in the 1970s. These models are foundational to our understanding of polymer crystallization, which is an integral part of polymer processing and production. In this review, the historical contours of this discourse are traced, with an examination of both the recent experimental breakthroughs and theoretical advancements pertinent to polymer melt memory effects. This paper delves into the prevailing theories of polymer nucleation and crystallization and engages with theoretical discussions and numerical simulations that attempt to elucidate and rationalize these melt memory phenomena.