ISSN:
0025-116X
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
A unified study of the anomalous mechanical properties and birefringence of low density polyethylene (LDPE) is attempted within the frame work of the rotating element model. The present paper investigates the validity of the affine transformation rule used in the Ward model and suggests a modified affine law which is based on the consideration that the units are only reoriented and, unlike the affine law, are not deformed due to the uniaxial stretching. The relationship between the angles made by the C-axis of the unit with the drawing direction in the undrawn state (θ) and the drawn state (θ), is deduced as sin θ = f(n) sin θ′. From the birefringence data of different polymers a two parameter relation of the form f (n) = exp [-(n - 1)α/β] is suggested. Using this new orientation function, the agreement of the predicted values of E0 and E90 for LDPE for the entire draw ratio range between temperatures of 60°C to -125°C, is quite satisfactory. An interesting feature is that the abrupt change in the values of the parameters α and β at two different temperatures may be associated with a phase transition of LDPE at an intermediate temperature.
Additional Material:
3 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/macp.1985.021861225
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