ISSN:
0098-1273
Keywords:
Physics
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
It has been presumed in studies of the orientation of low-density polyethylene and its time dependence that the degree of crystallinity remained constant with elongation and did not vary with time following elongation. This paper represents a test of this hypothesis by several methods. The change in crystallinity accompanying stretching has been followed by a modification of an x-ray method for uniaxial orientation proposed by Ruland in which diffraction peaks are resolved into crystalline and amorphous components and their respective areas are determined by two-dimensional integration over both the Bragg angle and the azimuthal angle of diffraction. The weight-fraction crystallinity is then determined from the ratio of the weighted crystalline area to the total area. There appears to be no significant variation in crystallinity up to 50% sample elongation for both slowly and rapidly stretched samples at room temperature. The dynamic crystallinity change accompanying small amplitude vibration has also been determined by the dynamic x-ray diffraction technique and found to be negligible over a wide range of frequency. The degree of crystallinity has also been evaluated from the absolute infrared absorbance of crystallinity-sensitive bands and has also been found to be independent of elongation at room temperature up to 80% elongation. Changes have also been observed by this method during relaxation at constant length following rapid extension and have also been found to be negligible. These results also indicate negligible changes in rotational isomer population. Consequently, we conclude that changes observed during relaxation and vibration arise from orientational changes rather than changes in the degree of crystallinity.
Additional Material:
11 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pol.1975.180131009
