Abstract: | The ultradrawing behavior of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene/low‐molecular‐weight polyethylene film specimens prepared at various concentrations and formation temperatures was studied. The critical draw ratio (Drc) of UL?0.7 film specimens was found to depend significantly on the formation temperature used to prepare the film specimens. At any fixed drawing temperature, the Drc values of UL?0.7 specimens prepared at various formation temperatures increased significantly as the formation temperatures were reduced. In fact, with an optimum drawing temperature of 95°C, the Drc values of UL?0.7 specimens prepared at a formation temperature of 0°C reached 488, about 50% higher than that of UL?0.7 specimens prepared at a formation temperature of 95°C. These interesting phenomena were investigated in terms of the thermal, birefringence, and tensile properties of these undrawn and drawn UL?0.7 specimens. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3728–3738, 2003 |