Deviation from bulk behaviour in the cold crystallization kinetics of ultrathin films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

The cold crystallization kinetics of ultrathin films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) have been investigated by dielectric spectroscopy. Upon reduction of the film thickness, a lowering of the Avrami exponent accompanied by an increase of the crystallization time was observed. The experimental results are analysed in terms of reduction of the total number of nuclei involved in the crystallization process. © IOP Publishing Ltd. ispartof: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER vol:19 issue:20 ispartof: location:ITALY, Pisa status: published