Research in Undergraduate Institutions: Solid State Coextrusion of Polymers of Complex and Simple Morphologies

固态共挤出单轴拉伸(SSCE)已被证明赋予聚合物不寻常的性能。其中包括熔点升高、双折射和拉伸模数，以及负的热膨胀系数等。在一个最引人注目的例子中，高密度聚乙烯的单晶垫被拉伸到超过200倍的拉伸比，产生接近理论最大值的拉伸模数。这项研究的目标是扩展一种过程的基础知识，该过程可以显著改变聚合物的形态和结构，从而获得不寻常的性能和材料，这些材料最初具有不寻常的形态和特性。将尝试在新生聚乙烯上进行固态共挤出。将采用共挤出工艺进行聚合物单晶垫的拉伸。

Uniaxial drawing by solid state coextrusion (SSCE) has been shown to impart unusual properties to polymers. These include increased melting point, birefringence and tensile modulus, and negative coefficients of thermal expansion, among others. In one of the most remarkable examples, mats of single crystals of high density polyethylene were drawn to draw ratios of over 200, producing a tensile modulus close to the theoretical maximum. The goal of this research is to extend the fundamental knowledge of a process which can impressively alter the morphology and structure of a polymer to give unusual properties and materials which initially have unusual morphology and properties. Solid state coextrusion will be attempted on nascent polyethylene. The drawing of polymer single crystal mats by the coextrusion process will be undertaken.