A Direct Observation of the Formation of Nuclei and the Development of Lamellae in Polymer Spherulites

Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), detailed information on the formation of the nuclei and the growth of the lamellae is obtained. This is the first experimental data that show the appearance and disappearance of embryos, as predicted by thermodynamics. In addition, it is shown that branching is initiated by secondary nucleation of the parent lamellae, and the lamellae can join with each other and branch in many different ways that have never been observed by other techniques.