Polymer crystallization rate challenges: The art of chemistry and processing

ABSTRACT The intention of this study is to discuss scientific advances toward one very important challenge in the polymer processing industry: How does one increase the crystallization rate of slow‐to‐crystallize polymeric materials, thereby facilitating processing and enabling peak product performance? In the medical device field, where both government‐controlled regulatory entities and medical professionals closely scrutinize the biocompatibility of added crystallization rate enhancers, achieving these twin goals has always been challenging. Herein, we present a review of various chemical and physical approaches used to tune the crystallization rate of semicrystalline polymers, with a strong emphasis on two novel approaches recently discovered and developed in our laboratories. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42066.