Real-time image analysis and numerical simulation of isothermal spherulite nucleation and growth in polyoxymethylene

A method of analysing nucleation and crystallization kinetics, based on real time image analysis and hot stage optical microscopy, has been used to investigate the isothermal crystallization of different grades polyoxymethylene. The data were compared with results from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), using a simple numerical simulation to model the effects of finite smaple thickness on the form of the isothermal DSC curves. This simulation was then used to predict the microstructural development in a bulk sample for different boundary conditions, taking into account latent heat evolution and diffusion during crystallization.