Polyethylene structural characteristics

Such normal vibration analyses have been applied to the spectra of macromolecules to only a limited extent. In the first place, the only structure which has been analyzed in detail is that of the planar zig-zag chain of CHg groups, i.e., polyethylene. Neither substituted planar zig-zag chains nor the helical chain structures characteristic of many polymers [Bunn and Holmes (28)] have been submitted to such a theoretical analysis. In the second place, even for the case of polyethylene the answers are not in all instances unambiguous. Different assumptions as to the nature of the force field, and lack of knowledge of some of the force constants, has led to varying predictions of band positions in the observed spectrum. For the identification of certain modes, viz., those which retain the characteristics of separable group frequencies, such an analysis is not of primary importance, but for knowledge of skeletal frequencies and of interactions... 

The preceding structural characteristics dictate the state of polymer (rubbery vs. glassy vs. semicrystalline) which will strongly affect mechanical strength, thermal stability, chemical resistance and transport properties [6]. In most polymeric membranes, the polymer is in an amorphous state. However, some polymers, especially those with flexible chains of regular chemical structure (e.g., polyethylene/PE/, polypropylene/PP/or poly(vinylidene fluoride)/PVDF/), tend to form crystalline... 

A preferentially and a sheaf-like aggregation with random in-plane orientation are observed for the thinner films (thicknesses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 pm in panels a-c). By contrast thick films (0.6 pm and thicker, panel d) show a morphology that resembles the well known (bulk) spherulitic form with a banded structure, characteristic of linear polyethylene crystallized from the melt at moderately high undercooling. 

The origin of chemiluminescence in polyolefins has been profoundly analyzed and it has contributed to the better understanding of their complex mechanism of thermooxidation The thermal oxidation of polyethylenes with different manufacturing histories has been compared, which allowed to establish a relationship between CL and some structural characteristics of the polymers. Modification of their stability in the presence of antioxidants, or other additives such as the activity of nano- and micron particles of pigments has been evaluated. 

Microscopically Viewed Structural Characteristics of Polyethylene Blends Between Deuterated and Hydrogenated Species Cocrystallization and Phase Separation... 

D.M. Stelescu, A. Airinei, M. HomoHanu, N. Fifere, D. Timpu, M. Aflori, Structural characteristics of some high density polyethylene/EPDM blends. Polym. Testing 32, 187-196 (2013)... 

Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers can be thought of as modified high pressure polyethylenes. Because of the free-radical polymerization process they have structural characteristics such as short-chain and long-chain branching in addition to the effects due to the incorporation of the vinyl acetate comonomer. Ethylene and vinyl acetate have a reactivity ratio which is close to 1 and as a result EVA copolymers contain vinyl acetate which is homogeneously distributed among the polymer chains. The major effect of the VA on polymer properties is to reduce... 

Figure 15.14 The influence of degree of crystallinity and molecular weight on the physical characteristics of polyethylene. (From R. B. Richards, Polyethylene—Structure, Crystallinity and Properties, /. Appl. Chem., 1, 370,1951.)...

H. Lu, Y. Hu, M. Li, Z. Chen, and W. Fan, Structure characteristics and thermal properties of silane-grafted-polyethylene/clay nanocomposite prepared by reactive extrusion. Compos. Sci. Technol. 66(15), 3035-3039 (December, 2006). 

Figure 7 shows that the micro-injection molded polyethylene parts exhibit typical skin-core morphology similar to that observed for conventional injection molding parts. While the interface between the skin layer and the transitional shear zone is apparent, the interface between the transitional shear zone and the spherulitic core is hard to locate. The skin layer probably has shish-kebab structural characteristics. The Kebabs , which are crystalline lamellae, fill the crystalhzed space. Fibrous crystals, or the Shishs , are ahgned parallel to the injection direction. They penetrate those lamellae. The fibrillar structure follows the direction of the flow, as shown in Figure 7. The transitional shear zone may be thought of as crystalline ribbons that branch and fill crystallized space with some loss of orientation. Crystallization occurring at the sites of both the skin layer and the transitional shear zone is significantly influenced by shear or elongational stress history. On the other hand, the influence of shear on the crystalhzation occurring in the spherulitic core is negligible. The crystalline structure...

From the viewpoint of accommodation to the filter-supporting structure, some cloths cannot be used, even though the filtering characteristics are excellent. For rotary drum filters, for example, the cloth is pressed onto the drum by the caulking method, which uses cords that pass over the drum. In this case, the closely woven cloths manufactured from monofilament polyethylene or polypropylene fiber are less desirable than more flexible cloths of polyfilament fibers or staple cloths. 

It is an unfortunate fact that many students and indeed design engineers are reluctant to get involved with plastics because they have an image of complicated materials with structures described by complex chemical formulae. In fact it is not necessary to have a detailed knowledge of the structure of plastics in order to make good use of them. Perfectly acceptable designs are achieved provided one is familiar with their perfonnance characteristics in relation to the proposed service conditions. An awareness of the structure of plastics can assist in understanding why they exhibit a time-dependent response to an applied force, why acrylic is transparent and stiff whereas polyethylene is opaque and flexible, etc., but it is not necessary for one to be an expert... 

Hence, the extension of an isotropic unoriented partially crystalline polymer leads to the formation of a highly organized material with a characteristic fibrillar structure. The anisotropy of the sample as a whole is expressed by a higher modulus, tenacity and optical anisotropy. It would seem that the increase in strength in the drawing direction suggests that the oriented samples consist of completely extended chains. However, while the strength of such perfect structure for polyethylene has been evaluated as 13000 MPas), the observed values for an oriented sample are 50 to 30 MPa. 

---