This volume introduces and reports on the state-of-the-art regarding both theoretical and experimental aspects of phase transitions in polymeric solutions or melts that lead to crystallization. Written in the form of a set of self-contained reviews, the book is both a modern and comprehensive source of reference and an introduction into the field for nonspecialist researchers and postgraduate students.

In the context of polymer crystallization there are several still open and often controversially debated questions. The present volume addresses issues such as novel general views and concepts which help to advance our understanding of polymer crystallisation, nucleation phenomena, long living melt structures affecting crystallization, confinement effects on crystallization, crystallization in flowing melts, fluid mobility restrictions caused by crystallites, the role of mesophases in the crystal formation and presents new ideas in a connected and accessible way. The intention is thus not only to provide a summary of the present state of the art to all active works but to provide an entry point to newcomer and graduate students entering the field.

The classical view on polymer crystallization basically focused on the expla- tion of a few macroscopically observable parameters like the thickness of the resulting lamellar structure and the corresponding growth rates. However, the emerging paradigm for the description of chain crystals is too simple and cannot account for the complex non-equilibrium processes responsible for structure f- mation on various levels, ranging from the nanometer up to the millimeter scale. This complexity detected by several novel experimental results led to a renewed interest in this "old" topic of polymer crystallization. These new ?ndings c- cern the early stages of the crystallization process, crystal formation in con?ned geometries like ultra-thin ?lms and the competition between (micro)phase s- aration and crystallization in copolymers and blends. In particular, high spatial resolution techniques such as atomic force microscopy provided deeper insight into the molecular organization of crystallizable polymers. Computer simu- tions based on microscopic processes were used to improve our understanding of how polymer crystals are nucleated and how they grow. New ideas emerged about possible multistage pathways which are followed during the formation of polymer lamellae. The importance and the consequences of the non-equilibrium character of polymer crystals got signi?cantly more attention. Links and ana- gies to growth phenomena and pattern formation in general are being developed. However, these ideas are still subject of intensive and controversial discussions.