Model Growth: Simulations expose branching nature of polymer crystals
The intricate shapes of snowflakes have long fascinated scientists, but water isn’t the only fluid that freezes into elaborate crystal structures. Polymers and metal alloys do the same. Now, scientists in the United States and Hungary have uncovered previously unknown facets of the physics underlying such crystal growth.
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Using computer models, the researchers simulated a polymer liquid as it solidifies into a crystal. In one scenario, the researchers added increasing amounts of dirt particles, representing impurities, to the liquid and confirmed previous observations that the more dirt present, the more complex the resulting polymer crystal.