Initial structure development in the CO2 laser-heated drawing of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) fiber

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 49; no. 26; pp. 5705 - 5713
• Main Authors: Kim, KyoungHou, Kang, YoungAh, Murata, Takahisa, Ikehata, Soichiro, Ohkoshi, Yutaka, Gotoh, Yasuo, Nagura, Masanobu, Koide, Mitsuharu, Urakawa, Hiroshi, Kotera, Masaru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 08.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Initial fiber structure development; On-line measurements; Poly(trimethylene terephthalate); Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Initial fiber structure development; Poly(trimethylene terephthalate); On-line measurements; Laser heating; Alkyl terephthalate polymer; Crystallization; Synthetic fiber; Experimental study; CO; Continuous process; Hot drawing; Structuration; laser; Kinetics
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2008.10.022

Because rapid and uniform laser heating can fix the neck-drawing point in continuous drawing of PTT fiber, we have successfully analyzed the fiber structure development in the continuous drawing process by in-situ measurement with a time resolution of less than 1ms. In this study, we investigated fiber structure development for PTT around the neck point controlled with a CO2 laser-heated apparatus during continuous drawing, through on-line measurements of WAXD, SAXS, and fiber temperature. Fiber temperature attained by laser radiation initiated a rise around −3mm in relation to the neck point at 0mm, and increased to about 90°C, which is past the 45°C Tg for PTT. The instantaneous increase in fiber temperature continued with a vertical ascent, with plastic deformation around the neck point. The crystalline diffraction pattern was revealed initially at the elapsed time of 0.415ms immediately after necking, and remained fairly constant with elapsed time. The ultimate crystalline diffraction pattern for a completely drawn fiber showed little difference from that at the initial stage. In PET a two-dimensionally ordered structure in the form of a mesophase was detected immediately after the necking, whereas in PTT the phenomenon was not observed. With elapsed time, the d spacing of (002) plane decreased gradually due to transformation of the initial all-trans conformation into trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation, and ultimately the PTT molecular chain could favorably adopt the trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation. SAXS pattern immediately after the necking revealed an X-shape; the scattering intensity concentrated on meridian directions due to individual crystal development, and at 2ms two-pointed scattering started to appear. Past 8ms, the typical two-pointed scattering pattern was prominent and its intensity increased with elapsed time. Long period decreased with increasing elapsed time, but the crystallite size of meridian (002) plane hardly changed. The decrease in long period might be caused by chain relaxation in the amorphous region. [Display omitted]