The deformation behaviour of polyethylene shish-kebabs produced by stirring-induced crystallization

Polyethylene mats of shish-kebab fibrils were prepared from solution by stirring-induced crystallization, and subjected to deformation. A morphological study by scanning electron microscopy showed that the elementary shish-kebabs are elongated during drawing. For low draw ratios, the average distance between the lamellae on the fibrils increases proportionally to the draw ratio. The invariance of the fibril diameter upon drawing indicates a transformation of lamellar into fibrillar material. The molecular topology which underlies this deformation mode is discussed and related to the crystallization process.