Characteristics of solid‐state extruded polyethylene

Abstract

AbstractThis paper describes the properties of solid‐state extruded polyethylene as a function of two primary processing variables, extrusion temperature, and area reduction. The polymer was extruded in sheet form, giving a material having an orthotropic mode of orientation. Property data are presented for melting temperature and heat of fusion; sonic modulus, yield stress, and elongation at fracture; small‐angle x‐ray scattering; optical absorption coefficient; and morphology for material etched by ion bombardment at liquid nitrogen temperature. Combining the present results with data previously reported in the literature, it is found that over the temperature range of about 90–120°C, where polyethylene can be successfully extruded to large area reductions, many properties of the extrudates show a surprisingly small dependence on extrusion temperature. A notable exception to this behavior is the elastic modulus, which increases significantly with increasing extrusion temperatures. In contrast to extrusion temperature, area reduction is found to have a major effect on nearly all properties of solid‐state extruded polyethylene. In most cases, the form of this dependence is such that the properties change rapidly at small area reductions and much more slowly at large reductions.