Die-drawn HDPE pipes: crystalline and lamellae orientation

Kleppinger, Ralf; Taraiya, Ajay; Handstanger, Ralph; Soliman, Maria
Society of Plastics engineers, 2014

It is well known that mechanical properties of isotropic polymer systems, such as tensile modulus and strength, can be considerably improved by orientation of chain molecules. This can be achieved by deforming the polymer in the solid-state via die-drawing, resulting in orientation in tow rather than one direction only, resulting in materials like polymer pipes, sheets or films with increased strength and toughness. The specific 3d crystallite orientation and changes in the morphology on a mesoscopic scale have been investigated in detail using 2D-WAXD and 2d-SAXS at DSM’s GANESHA system.

Keywords: Ganesha, polymers