Orientation and Residual Stress Distributions in Thick Melt Spun Polystyrene and Polycarbonate Filaments

Abstract

Abstract A study of orientation development and residual stresses in thick melt spun polystyrene filaments and polycarbonate filaments described. Linear relationships between spinline stress and mean birefringence under different melt spinning conditions were obtained. These results were used together with models of the dynamics of melt spinning to predict the characteristics of thick melt spun filaments. Birefringence distrbutions and residual stresses were computed. High orientations and compressive circumferential residual stresses were predicted at the larger radii and low orientation and tensile circumferential and radial residual stress in the fiber core are obtained. The distribution of birefringence across the thickness of thick melt spun filaments was measured by determining changes of retardation across a wedge. The birefringence distributions were correlated with severity of quench and model prediction. Thick melt spun fibers were peeled and found to have fibrillar cores.