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Deformation Temperature Dependency of Microstructure Evolution in Die-Drawn iPP/UHMWPE Blends
Qin, X. Lu, Y. Lyu, D. Caton-Rose, Philip D. Coates, Philip D. Men, Y.
Qin, X.
Lu, Y.
Lyu, D.
Caton-Rose, Philip D.
Coates, Philip D.
Men, Y.
Publication Date
2024-10-08
End of Embargo
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Rights
© 2024 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Macromolecules after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see the link to version of record.
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
embargoedAccess
Accepted for publication
2024-09-10
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
2025-09-23
Additional title
Abstract
Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is one of the most promising polyolefins, but its processability and consequently applications are limited by its high melt viscosity. An effective method to improve the processability is to introduce another polymer component. Yet it is challenging to deform the sample if the components are not compatible with each other. In this work, we blended the UHMWPE with isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and successfully processed the iPP/UHMWPE samples via die-drawing at temperatures below, near, and above the melting temperature of UHMWPE. It was found that the melting behavior of the die-drawn samples was determined by the deformation temperature. The molecular chain orientation slightly decreased, while the long periods first increased and then decreased with increasing deformation temperature. Three melting peaks observed in the samples deformed at 130 and 140 °C originated from the melting of cooling-induced UHMWPE crystallites, deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites, and deformation-induced fibrillar iPP crystallites, respectively. The melting peak of deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites could not be observed in the sample deformed at 150 °C because it is unlikely for UHMWPE chains to crystallize at such a high temperature. This sample also has the lowest melting point since the UHMWPE lamellae formed during deformation could serve as nucleation sites in the other two samples.
Version
Accepted Manuscript
Citation
Qin X, Lu Y, Lyu D, et al (2024) Deformation Temperature Dependency of Microstructure Evolution in Die-Drawn iPP/UHMWPE Blends. Macromolecules. 57(9): 9203-9215
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Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article
Qualification name
Notes
The full text will be available at the end of the publisher's embargo: 23rd Sept 2025