The isothermal and nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetics of a novel poly(aryl ether ketone ether ketone ketone) containing a meta-phenyl linkage (PEKEKmK) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The Avrami equation was used to analyze the isothermal crystallization kinetics of PEKEKmK. The crystallization mechanism did not change within the crystallization temperature range, but the crystallization rate decreased with an increase in the crystallization temperature. The equilibrium melting point, T-m(o), was determined to be 327 degrees C according to the Hoffman-Weeks equation. Moreover, the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of PEKEKmK was also investigated by the Avrami equation as modified by Jeziorny. It was found that the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PEKEKmK could be described well by this method at various cooling rates, although the parameters n and Z(c) did not have the same clear physical meaning as for isothermal crystallization kinetics. The thermal properties and crystallization characteristics of PEKEKmK were compared with those of all-para PEKEKK(T) and PEKEKK(T/I) with a T/I ratio of 1. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.