Polyethylene, ultra-high modulus mechanical properties

Capaccio, G. and Ward, I.M. (1973) Properties of ultra-high modulus linear polyethylenes. Nature Phys. Sci., 243, 143 (1974) Preparation of Ultrahigh Modulus Linear Polyethylenes - Effect of Molecular-weight and Molecular-weight Distribution on Drawing Behavior and Mechanical-properties. Polymer, 15,223. 

Figures VII.3 and VII.4 show the experimental values of the Young s modulus and the tensile strength, respectively, for thick films of undoped trans-polyacetylene as a function of draw ratio (all samples were derived from the same polymerization batch). Although there is some scatter in the data, the modulus and tenacity increase approximately linearly with the draw ratio, as is commonly observed for most polymers drawn to moderate draw ratios. The modulus and tensile strength of trans-polyacetylene films stretched up to 15 times are 50 GPa and 0.9 GPa, respectively. These values are essentially equivalent to those observed for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [83] drawn to the same draw ratio. Recently, Akagi et al.[78] reported remarkable mechanical properties for drawn polyacetylene films prepared by non-solvent polymerization (100 GPa and 0.9 GPa for the modulus and tensile strength, respectively). The origin of difference in the modulus (in the two studies) is unknown.

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