MOLECULAR-ORIENTATION OF HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE FIBERS CHARACTERIZED BY POLARIZED RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY

Polarized Raman spectroscopic measurements were performed on a uniaxia lly oriented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fiber. The second and fo urth coefficients of the orientation distribution function, [P-2(cos ( theta>)] and [P-4(cos theta)], respectively, have been quantitatively determined from the scattering intensities of the bands at 1130 and 14 18 cm(-1). This work represents the first quantitative determination o f the orientation parameters for a HDPE fiber by Raman spectroscopy. T he values of [P-2(cos theta)] calculated from the Raman experiments ar e shown to be in excellent agreement with the calculated value obtaine d by X-ray diffraction.