Follow the crystallization kinetics using the Avrami and Lauritzen and Hoffman Theory. Just feed the App with your experimental data and some theoretical parameters, and then the App will do the rest.

Description: 

This App was created for Dr. Arnaldo Lorenzo and Prof. Alejandro J. Müller, based on an ORIGIN plugin they developed in 2007¹

Purpose: This App lets you fit your isothermal crystallization data with the Avrami¹ and the Lauritzen and Hoffman Theory².

Basic Usage:

For Avrami theory-Continuous Fit (Continuous Isothermal Crystallization)

1. With your Heat Flow vs. time data (the usual output of a DSC isothermal curve) taken at a specific crystallization temperature, launch the App.
2. Select the Avrami option, and feed the App with the mass of your sample, and density (in case you want a particular correction¹).
3. Select the fitting range (there is a recommended fit range)¹
4. See your results, τ₀, Avrami Index (n), K values, τ_50% theoretical and experimental, and R².¹

For Avrami theory-By Step Fit (Isothermal Step Crystallization ^3-4)

With this update, we have added an option that allows using the ΔH vs. time data, e.g., obtained from conventional or Flash DSC by ISC³. After feeding the App with this data, provide the App with the mass of your sample and density, and then you can get the Avrami parameters, as in the continuous-fit.

 For Lauritzen and Hoffman theory²

1. With your 1/τ_50% vs. T_c data or Spherulitic growth rate (G) vs. T_c data, launch the App.
2. Select the LH option, and how do you obtain the data: DSC vs. PLOM.
3. Feed the App with your U* (generally taken as 1500 cal/mol), T_α=T_g-30, and T_m°.
4. Select how many regimes do you have and which ones.
5. Select your a₀, b₀, Crystalline density, and ΔH_m°.
6. See your results; you have obtained all the relevant energetic parameters, K_g, σ, σ_e, and q.

¹Lorenzo, A. T.; Arnal, M. L.; Albuerne, J.; Müller, A. J. Polymer Testing, 2007, 26, 222-231. (January) “DSC isothermal polymer crystallization kinetics measurements and the use of the Avrami equation to fit the data: Guidelines to avoid common problems”.

²Müller, A. J.; Michell, R. M.; Lorenzo, A. T. (April 2016), pp. 181-203, “Chapter 11. Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Polymers”, in Polymer Morphology: Principles, Characterization, and Processing (ed. Q. Guo), John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ, USA.

³Balsamo, V.; Urdaneta, N.; Pérez, L.; Carrizales, P.; Abetz, V.; Müller, A. J. European Polymer Journal, 2004, 40, 1033-1049 (June), “Effect of the polyethylene confinement and topology on its crystallization within semicrystalline ABC triblock copolymers”.

⁴Müller, A. J.; Arnal, M. L.; Lorenzo, A. T. in Handbook of Polymer Crystallization, Piorkowska,E.; Rutledge, G. C. eds., John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey (USA),ISBN: 978-0-470-38023-9, 2013, 347-372 (July). “Crystallization in Nano-Confined Polymeric Systems”.

In this version 1.1, we have added a button to perform the Avrami Fit from step-crystallization experimental data.