DEFORMATION STEPS IN ORIENTED ULTRAHIGH M OLECULAR-WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE GEL FILMS

The structural changes of UHMWPE gel-films during drawing had been stu died by X-ray diffraction, X-ray plate camera, SEM, The orientation pr ocesses were discussed by using chain dynamic simulation. It had been found that there are three stages in the orientation process, In the i nitial stage of orientation; the lamellae in the gel-films rotate and/ or slided with the b-axis became paralleling to the drawing direction while unfolding of the chain began. When the draw ratio large enough, most of the chains were extended to form microfibrillar chain bundle b ut only two dimensional period slang the draw direction exit.