AbstractA mathematical model is developed to study laminar, nonlinear, non-isothermal, steady-state free convection boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a micropolar viscoelastic fluid from a vertical isothermal cone. The Eringen model and Jeffery’s viscoelastic model are combined to simulate the non-Newtonian characteristics of polymers, which constitutes a novelty of the present work. The transformed conservation equations for linear momentum, angular momentum and energy are solved numerically under physically viable boundary conditions using a finite difference scheme (Keller Box method). The effects of Deborah number (De), Eringen vortex viscosity parameter (R), ratio of relaxation to retardation times (λ), micro-inertia density parameter (B), Prandtl number (Pr) and dimensionless stream wise coordinate (ξ) on velocity, surface temperature and angular velocity in the boundary layer regime are evaluated. The computations show that with greater ratio of retardation to relaxation times, the linear and angular velocity are enhanced whereas temperature (and also thermal boundary layer thickness) is reduced. Greater values of the Eringen parameter decelerate both the linear velocity and micro-rotation values and enhance temperatures. Increasing Deborah number decelerates the linear flow and Nusselt number whereas it increases temperatures and boosts micro-rotation magnitudes. The study is relevant to non-Newtonian polymeric thermal coating processes.