Structure variation and puncture resistance of stretched crosslinked polyethylene film: Effects of stretching temperature

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 136; no. 16
• Main Authors: Wang, Rong, Ren, Dongxue, Sun, Xiaojie, Liang, Wenbin, Wang, Ke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 20.04.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Cross-linked polyethylene; crosslinked polyethylene film; crystal size; Crystals; Electron microscopes; Entanglement; Materials science; Melt temperature; Polyethylene films; Polymers; puncture resistance; Stretching; stretching temperature; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.47542

ABSTRACT Crosslinked polyethylene films were prepared and stretched at different temperatures (below and above melting temperature). The stretching temperature exhibited pronounced effects on the structure and puncture resistance of the films. Combining the results of differential scanning calorimetry, 1D X‐ray diffraction, 2D X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope, it was demonstrated that the film stretched above T m has lower crystallinity, thinner lamellar, and larger crystal grain size than that stretched below but near T m. All the stretched films showed highly oriented lamellae in the bulk and arranged perpendicular to the stretching direction. The crystals of the film stretched below T m were arranged in highly aligned microfibrils with distinct interlamellar boundary and the crystals of the film stretched above T m were arranged in a progressively less orderly manner with increased interlamellar entanglement. Due to this structure difference, the puncture resistances of the films stretched above T m were much larger than that stretched below T m. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47542.