Abstract
A bi-oriented shrinkable polyethylene film (with free ends) was subjected to a thermal treatment while irradiated by synchrotron X-rays. The experimental set-up allowed the simultaneous acquisition of one-dimensional wide-angle (WAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattered (SAXS) patterns in order to monitor the evolution of the microstructure under a controlled heating ramp (at 10.5 K/min, from 298 until 333 K) followed by an isothermal treatment at 333 K during 400 s. The results show that almost no changes occur in the crystalline phase, the main variations being a substantial reduction of the long period during the heating run. The results are interpreted by the recoil of previously highly stretched amorphous phase (taut-tie molecules). This mechanism is related to a low activation energy of 4.12 kJ/mol.
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Viana, J., Denchev, Z. & Cunha, E. Real Time X-Ray Scattering Studies on the Evolution of Morphology During Heating of a Shrinkable Polyethylene Film. Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials 8, 225–233 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MTDM.0000046796.96025.9c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MTDM.0000046796.96025.9c