Mechanism of necking as revealed by ultrasonic cavitation of polyethylene single crystals

Abstract

Abstract Ultrasonic cavitation of polyethylene single crystals and single-crystal aggregates in the form of cakes results in lamella fragmentation and necking involving the transformation of lamellar crystals into fibrillar crystals between 20 to 400 Å in diameter. The smaller fibrils (∼20–30 Å) have a very smooth appearance, whereas the larger ones (∼100–400 Å) contain a beady structure about 100 Å periodically spaced along the fibrils. The smoother microfibrils are suggested to contain extended chains that are formed by unfolding of molecules directly from the chain-folded lamellae as well as from the folded-chain crystals contained within the beady fibrils. The presence of the chain-folded crystals within the larger beady fibrils is shown in numerous instances to be due to incorporation of mosaic crystalline blocks originally present, but weakly connected to one another, in the lamellar single crystals. The necking process is deduced by observation to involve primarily a mechanical shearing of mosaic crystalline blocks along the c-axis plus a rotation into the fibril direction. Observation of extreme resistance of lamellae in the overgrowth regions to cavitation damage suggests the presence of tie molecules and/or interpenetrating cilia between these lamellae. The suggestion finds strong support from additional studies carried out on lamellae that have been tied together at the folds by cross-linking with γ rays.