Influence of Drawing Parameters on the Properties of Melt Spun Poly(Lactic Acid) Fibres

The object of the investigation were fibres prepared from PLA type 6201D (NatureWorks LLC) in a classical two-step technological system comprising spinning at a speed below 1250 m/min and drawing. The model drawing processes were considered in which process parameters were changed such as the draw ratio, drawing speed and thermal conditions. The aim of this study was to define the impact of the drawing conditions on the mechanical properties of the PLA fibres: tenacity, elongation at break, initial modulus and temperature-induced shrinkage. Also, the crystallinity degree of the fibres was estimated by DSC measurements and an acoustic method was applied to define the fibre orientation. Testing the physical-mechanical properties was done according to the appropriate PN-EN ISO.