Chain Explosion - Melting of Crystals in Low Entangled Polyethylenes

The proposed experiment aims to find out the relationship between melting-induced changes in the morphology of low-entangled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and monitor the increase in the entanglement density during melting. Conventional and fast-scanning thermal analysis combined with millisecond time resolved small and wide angle scattering will be used to assess the melting behavior and the effect of thermal history on the phase transitions. Changes in crystallinity and the size of crystalline and amorphous domains will be determined by real-time X-ray synchrotron experiments.