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Polyethylene-polyethylene microfibrillar composites

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Abstract

Solid-state drawing of melt-crystallized, or gel(solution)-crystallized, polyethylene (PE) is well established as a means of producing high modulus high-strength fibres. Here, an alternative route, based on melt-processing, is reviewed and its merits are assessed. Contrary to expectation, melt processing of flexible chain polymers can directly yield oriented products with good mechanical properties, without the need for post-drawing in the solid state. The melt-processed PE can give a special microfibrillar composite morphology which results in good mechanical properties. The paper also reviews aspects of composites design by comparing these microfibrillar composites with traditional fibre composites and molecular composites.

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Author notes

  1. Z. Bashir

    Present address: Courtaulds Research, 72 Lockhurst Lane, CV6 5RS, Coventry, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Royal Fort, Tyndall Avenue, UK

    Z. Bashir & J. A. Odell

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  1. Z. Bashir
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  2. J. A. Odell
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Additional information

Dedicated to professor Andrew Keller, FRS, after retirement, as a mark of appreciation for his contributions to the understanding of polymer crystallization, and for allowing us to learn about the subject and encouraging our investigations in a general research environment at Bristol.

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Bashir, Z., Odell, J.A. Polyethylene-polyethylene microfibrillar composites. Journal of Materials Science 28, 1081–1089 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400896

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