Computer simulation of three-dimensional spherulite growth

A computer program for modeling three-dimensional spherulite nucleation, growth, and impingement was elaborated. The Monte Carlo method was used to determine the degree of conversion and calculate the volume of the spherulites. Athermal, thermal, and mixed types of nucleation were tested. The experimental Avrami exponent agrees with the predictions for athermal and thermal nucleation while for mixed nucleation a nonintegral exponent is characteristic. The spherulite size distributions are very different from athermal and thermal nucleations. An intermediate pattern of distribution is proper for the mixed type of nucleation. The boundaries of the largest spherulites from thermal and mixed nucleation are concave while those of the smallest spherulites are convex.