The influence of morphology and molecular weight on ductile-brittle transitions in linear polyethylene

The tensile behaviour of linear polyethylene was examined over a wide range of temperatures. Samples were prepared from low and medium molecular weight polymer with different morphologies, by varying the initial crystallization conditions. It was found that the temperature of the ductile-brittle transition was markedly different for different samples. In particular, low molecular weight polymer crystallized at a low degree of of supercooling, showed brittle behaviour over most of the temperature range, with a ductile-brittle transition near to room temperature. Rapidly quenched material, where the degree of supercooling is high, showed a very low ductile-brittle transition temperature, especially in high molecular weight polymer. The reasons for these differences in behaviour are discussed both at a phenomenological level and in terms of known structural differences between the different materials examined.