Molecular modelling of flow-induced crystallisation in polymers

Flow-induced crystallisation (FIC) in polymers is simultaneously of great fundamental and practical importance. Current work on the molecular origins of FIC is providing insight into this fascinating, kinetically driven, non-equilibrium phase transition. This understanding also has the potential to be hugely beneficial to the plastics industry. In this article the main processes active during flow of crystallising polymers in complex geometries and the ways they are coupled are reviewed. Each of these processes individually presents a substantial modelling challenge, drawing on a diverse range of areas in polymer physics. Recent progress is reviewed and likely future directions indicated.