Abstract: | Solid-state extrusion of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has received considerable attention. It has been shown that extrudate may have high values of optical clarity, tensile modulus (~70 GPa = 7 × 1011 dyn/cm2), and c-axis orientation. The effects of extrusion conditions on the properties of the resultant fibers have, however, not yet been clarified. A systematic study has thus been made here to evaluate extrusion pressure, temperature, and extrusion (draw) ratio, and the molecular weight of extruded HDPE. The effects of extrusion ratio on the degree of crystallinity, melting behavior, crystal orientation, and dimensional change along the extrusion direction are reported. |