Large-strain remelting and texture development in semi-crystalline PEEK

In semi crystalline PEEK, morphological details have a strong influence on mechanical properties. When studying intrinsic deformation behaviour of semi-crystalline PEEK, very little strain hardening is observed at higher strains (>0.15). This could be due to an interplay of crystalline texture development and simultaneous melting of the crystal structure with deformation. With in-situ 2D WAXS on compression tests, we can establish the relation between the (homogeneous) deformation and the development of texture and melting of crystals. This analysis will determine the origin of the reduced hardening in semi-crystalline PEEK and will contribute to more reliable lifetime predictions for semi-crystalline PEEK.