Polymer, Vol.39, No.20, 4793-4800, 1998
The ultra-drawing behaviour of ultra-high-molecular-weight polypropylene in the gel-like spherulite press method : influence of solution concentration
The influence of solution concentration on ultra-drawing in the gel-like spherulite press (GSP) method has been investigated using four kinds of gel-like spherulite formed from 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0% w/w solutions of ultra-high-molecular-weight polypropylene (UHMW-PP). The ultra-drawing behaviour and the increase of strength and modulus are discussed with respect to the effect of chain entanglement density. It was concluded that ultradrawing in the GSP-method was progressed by the deformation of three-dimensional networks formed by chain entanglements, though there were no (or fewer) connections between the initial gel-like spherulites used as a starting material.