Fiber structure formation in ultra-high-speed melt spinning of poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate)

Abstract

The high-speed melt spinning of poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) was performed up to the take-up velocity of the ultra-high-speed region, 9 km/min. From the investigations of the structure and physical properties of the as-spun fibers, the high-speed spinning of PEN was divided into three regions in terms of the mechanism of fiber structure formation. The first region is the take-up velocity of up to 2.5 km/min and the birefringence of up to 0.08 where only a slight increase in molecular orientation was attained. At the take-up velocity of 2.5–4.5 km/min and the birefringence of 0.08–0.25, although some experimental evidences indicated that the orientation-induced crystallization did not occur, there was an increase in the fiber density which suggested the formation of some ordered structure. At the take-up velocity > 4.5 km/min and birefringence > 0.25, the orientation-induced crystallization occurred. The fibers obtained in this region were characterized by the formation of the crystalline structure dominated by the β form. The presence of the necklike deformation in the spinning line was also confirmed. The solidification temperature of the spinning line analyzed from the diameter profile suggested that the formation of β modification crystals occurred at relatively low crystallization temperatures in comparison with that in an isotropic state. Therefore it was indicated that the presence of elongational stress in the spinning line promoted the formation of the β modification crystals. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65: 1415–1427, 1997