For many polymers, the change between the initial lamellar thickness at T is roughly the same as at T and can thus be modeled by the Gibbs–Thomson equation fairly well. However, since it implies that the lamellar thickness over the given supercooling range (T–T) is unchanged, and many homogeneous nucleation of polymers implies a change of thickness at the growth front, Hoffman and Weeks pursued a more accurate representation. In this regard, the Hoffman-Weeks plot was created and can be modeled through the equation
where β is representative of a thickening factor given by L = L β and Tand T are the crystallization and melting temperatures, respectively.
Applying this experimentally for a constant β allows for the determination of the equilibrium melting temperature, T° at the intersection of Tand T.