Uniaxial Stretching above the Glass Transition Temperature of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) and its Effects on the Structure Development

Abstract

This work deals with an experimental investigation of the strain-induced crystalline microstructure that develops under uniaxial elongation of amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, above its glass transition temperature, as an approach for industrial stretch-blow moulding processes. The present study aims at: a) defining the most relevant processing parameters which govern and are of significance for the induced morphology, and b) establishing of relationships between processing and morphology. Compression moulded amorphous PET was uniaxial stretched with variations of following stretching parameters: stretching temperature, Tst, stretching velocity, Vst, and stretching ratio, λst, that were varied in two levels according to a L8 Taguchi orthogonal array. The developed morphologies were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and birefringence measurements. Obtained results were analyzed by ANOVA statistical tool. The glass transition temperature, Tg, is influenced mainly by the stretching ratio. The cold crystallization temperature, Tcc, is determined by complex influence of all stretching variables and the interaction Tstxλst. The degree of crystallinity, χc, mainly depends upon Vst and Tstxλst interaction. The birefringence, n, is essentially determined by λst and the interaction Vstxλst. The distinct morphological parameters are then related with the purpose of understand the structure development upon polymer stretching.