| Abstract: | A systematic study of the dispersion curves of the refractive indexes of nylon 6 yarns was made. The parameters were the draw ratio and strain. The measurements show that the dispersions of the refractive indexes n∥ and n⊥, parallel and perpendicular to the fiber axis, are equal, independently of draw ratio and strain. The average dispersion equals nF ? nC = 109 × 10?4. Consequently, the birefringence is, within experimental accuracy, independent of the wavelength. The refractive indexes and the birefringence show a change in trend at 10–12% strain. This point corresponds to the yield strain in the stress–strain diagrams. The inference is that beyond the yield point the overall molecular orientation must increase less strongly with strain than before. An analysis shows that the Lorentz–Lorenz relation holds for the average refractive index n? = ? (n∥ + 2n⊥). So the change in n? versus draw ratio is mainly due to the change in density. By applying the Lorentz–Lorenz relation to the change of n? on straining, a value of Poisson's ratio (μ) could be derived. The average value found for nylon 6 yarns was μ = 0.48, which means that the density hardly changes with strain. |
