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Stabilization Mechanism of Micropore in High‐Density Polyethylene: A Comparison between Thermal and Mechanical Pathways
Author(s) -
Li Xueyu,
Lin Yuanfei,
Su Fengmei,
Chen Xiaowei,
Lv Fei,
Meng Lingpu,
Zhang Qianlei,
Li Liangbin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.201700178
Subject(s) - microporous material , materials science , strain (injury) , polyethylene , thermal , composite material , membrane , chemical engineering , thermodynamics , chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , physics , engineering
Aiming to reveal the stabilization mechanism of micropore embryos formed during cold stretching in high‐density polyethylene films, samples are subsequently subjected to temperature elevation and strain holding at 25 °C, respectively. The corresponding structure evolution is tracked. It is found that after strain holding at 25 °C and subsequent strain recovery, inhomogeneously distributed cavities are produced, most of which can be healed as temperature is elevated to 110 °C. Consequently, only a small number of nonevenly distributed micropores are formed during the subsequent hot stretching. While for thermal pathway, micropores and fibrils can be formed as temperature is elevated. The hot stretching membrane exhibits uniformly distributed micropores and the micropores are well interconnected, indicating that micropores stabilized via temperature elevation are permanent and homogeneous. The results reveal different stabilization mechanisms of micropores via the thermal and mechanical pathways with regard to the distribution as well as the amount of permanent micropores.