Crystalline spherulitic growth kinetics during shear for linear low‐density polyethylene

The Linkam shearing cell was used in conjunction with a polarized light microscope to study the isothermal crystallization process of linear low‐density polyethylene resins under simple shear flow. The growth of spherulitic morphology was observed under slow shear rates (less than 1 s−1). The crystalline spherulitic growth rate increases, as the shear rate increases. This has been attributed to the decrease of the activation diffusion energy. A relationship between the activation diffusion energy and the shear rate is proposed, under the experimental conditions employed. The modified Hoffman–Lauritzen equation successfully describes spherulitic crystallization kinetics under shear conditions, when the appropriate value of activation diffusion energy is employed. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:1468–1475, 2006.