Orientation studies of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

This paper discusses the results of a detailed study of the relationships between molecular orientation, physical properties, and molecular weight of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and their dependence on orientation variables. The molecular weight range of the samples used in this study included weight average molecular weights, M_w, between 29,000 and 65,000 which correspond to inherent viscosities, I.V., from 0.5 to 0.9. The orientation temperatures investigated were between 80 and 120°C. The extent of molecular ordering imparted by the orientation process was studied by birefringence, density, light scattering, and depolarized light intensity techniques. The results show that the degree of molecular orientation and the physical properties are strongly dependent on strain rate, extension ratio, molecular weight, and orientation temperature. The mechanical and transport properties, of PET are directly related to the degree of orientation as measured by birefringence. It is found that at a comparable level of orientation, the mechanical properties are also dependent on molecular weight, whereas the transport properties are independent of molecular weight. The degree of orientation varies according to the molecular weight of PET and stretch temperature. It is shown that for the same stretch ratio and stretch speed, the birefringence decreases with increasing stretch temperature. The light scattering results indicate that biaxial orientation of PET can lead to strain-induced crystallization. The amount and form of the crystalline structures are dependent on strain rate and orientation temperature.