Stretch‐Induced Melting and Recrystallization of Polyethylene‐Plasticizer Film Studied byIn SituX‐Ray Scattering: A Thermodynamic Point of View
With in-situ synchrotron radiation X-ray scattering, the structural alteration of polyethylene-plasticizer film during uniaxial stretching is studied at temperature far below melting point of crystal. By analyzing the evolution rule of structural parameters quantitatively, stretch induced melting and recrystallization process is validated to be the underlying mechanism of plastic deformation for the system. The physical essence of stretch induced melting is proved to be phase transition driven by elastic energy which originates from lattice deformation. On the other hand, the recrystallization process is proved to be controlled by temperature, furthermore, the growth of lamellae during recrystallization is in perfect accordance with kinetic theory by Lauritzen and Hoffman. This study provides a quantitative understanding to the long existing melting recrystallization model from a thermodynamics point of view.
This work is supported by Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Major Projects (No. 16030901044) and the Natural Science Foundation of China (51633009, 51703218) .
