Macromolecules, Vol.39, No.17, 5796-5803, 2006
Simple shear deformation of polypropylene via the equal channel angular extrusion process
The morphological changes of isotactic polypropylene ( iPP) subjected to varying shear strains have been investigated by the equal channel angular extrusion ( ECAE) process. Morphological measurements were made by wide- and small- angle X- ray scattering ( WAXS and SAXS) using synchrotron radiation, differential scanning calorimetry ( DSC), and reflected optical microscopy ( ROM) of permanganic etched specimens. ROM results reveal the initially equiaxed spherulites are elongated with increasing shear. The deformation of the spherulite was found to always lag behind the overall macro deformation. This was attributed to the interlocking nature of the R spherulites. WAXS and SAXS results revealed two preferred crystallite and crystalline c-axis orientations at all shear strains investigated. In both orientations the crystalline c- axis was found to be incorporated along the length of the crystallite. It is proposed that the observed scattering was due to the formation of two microfibrillar domains.