Influence of the molecular weight on the elongational behaviour of polypropylene and on the fibre orientation factors

Abstract

AbstractThis study shows that the elongational behaviour depends upon molecular weight and upon elongational rate. If the molecular weight is low, elongational viscosity reaches rapidly a steady value but, if the molecular weight is high, the viscosity (or the elongational stress) increases continuously with the time. These behaviours may be explained in comparison of the relaxation rate determined by shear rheology as the reciprocal relaxation time with the elongation rate ϵ. If the elongation rate is lower than the relaxation rate the polypropylene chains may relax and the elongational viscosity reaches a steady value with the time. For high fluidity polypropylene the range of elongation rates within of which the elongational viscosity is constant with time is very large. On the contrary, if the elongational rate is higher than relaxation rate the polypropylene chains undergo a continuous deformation and then the elongational viscosity increases with time. The range of elongational rates within of which the stress is constant is narrow for high‐molecular‐weight polypropylene. Furthermore, the elongational behaviour influences the chain orientation in the crystalline and amorphous phases of the fibres. If the polymer chains are quenched in a relaxed state the orientation is lowered as shown with high fluidity polypropylenes. On the contrary, if the chains are cooled in extended state their orientation may subsist during crystallisation and the orientation factors may reach high values as shown with high‐molecular‐weight polypropylene.