Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/N13227/01
Title:	LAMELLAR THICKENING IN ULTRA-LONG ALKANES AND POLYETHYLENE
Principal Investigator:	Miles, Professor MJ
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Bristol
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 May 2000	Ends:	31 October 2003	Value (£):	197,919
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Electronics No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
When polymers crystallize they form thin, plate-like lamallae in which the polymer chains fold back on themselves many times. These 'chain-folded' crystals are unstable with respect to crystals in which the chains are fully extended, and on annealing at elevated temperatures they thicken towards the equilibium conformation. This thickening process, and the underlying molecular rearrangements, are of industrial and fundamental scientific interest. A range of techniques has been applied but a full understanding remains elusive. Atomic force micrscopy (AFM) offers a unique advantage in following processes at high resolution, in-situ and in real-time. Preliminary studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. In polymers, thickening is further complicated by the mixture of chains of different lengths present (i.e., they are polydisperse). We will utilise the ultra-long alkanes, which are a strictly monodisperse model for polyethylene. With AFM we will be able to directly observe crystal thickening as it happens, starting with single crystals grown from solution, and then adding levels of complexity by studying crystalline aggregates and melt-crystallized material. By comparing the behaviour of the alkanes with parallel studies on polyethylene we will access previously unobtainable information on the effect of chain length, polyethylene we will access previously unobtainable information on the effect of chain length, polydispersity, temperature, and crystal morphology on thickening.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bris.ac.uk