The drawing behavior of linear polyethylene. I. Rate of drawing as a function of polymer molecular weight and initial thermal treatment

The drawing behavior of a series of linear polyethylene homopolymers with weight-average molecular weight (M̄w) ranging from 67,800 to ∼3,500,000 and variable distribution (M̄w/M̄n = 5.1−20.9) has been studied. Sheets were prepared by two distinct routes: either by quenching the molten polymer into cold water or by slow cooling below the crystallization temperature (∼120°C) followed by quenching into cold water. When the samples (2 cm long) were...