The drawing behavior of linear polyethylene: Effect of electron irradiation on drawing and subsequent mechanical behavior of drawn products

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Abstract
Isotropic monofilaments of linear polyethylene were subjected to electron irradiation in different atmospheres at a range of dose levels. It was found that the gel content remained very small up to a dose of about 2.5 Mrad (the gel point), and thereafter increased with irradiation dose in a manner similar to that found by other workers. Drawing of the irradiated filaments was very dependent on dose level, and high draw ratios of 30:1 could not be obtained above the gel point. Although irradiation of the spun monofilaments increased the initial tensile modulus of the drawn material to a small extent, neither the tensile strength nor the shear strength of the monofilaments (the latter measured with a pull-out adhesion technique) was significantly affected. On the other hand, the tensile strain at failure decreased dramatically as the irradiation dose was increased. The results are discussed in terms of our present state of knowledge regarding the structure and properties of highly drawn linear polyethylene, taking into consideration the cross-linking produced by the irradiation.