Crystallite size distribution and lattice distortions in uniaxially drawn polyethylene

Crystallite size distributions and lattice distortions in the lateral direction as well as in the chain direction of uniaxially drawn polyethylene are analysed from 1 1 0 and 0 0 2 Debye-Scherrer line profiles by means of a Fourier technique. The size distribution in the 1 1 0] direction of the original (undrawn) sample consists of two well-defined components having maxima at 220 and 310 Å. In this lateral direction, crystallites break up into smaller units by drawing in such a way that each component in the original size distribution has its own scheme of degradation. In the chain direction 0 0 1] a similar mechanism of crystallite reconstitution is possibly operating, although the size distribution of the original sample in this direction could not be obtained. Lattice distortions in the drawn samples are of the strained-lattice type, except for the case of cold-drawing in the lateral direction 1 1 0]. 1 1 0] distortions in the cold-drawn specimen can be regarded as paracrystalline distortion. In this case, the strength of paracrystalline distortion is estimated as about one-half of the value given by Hosemann for similar polyethylene samples.