Morphology and stress-relaxation of biaxially oriented cross-linked polyethylene films

In the present work, the morphology and stress-relaxation of cross-linked polyethylene films were investigated. The stress-relaxation of cross-linked films was studied as a function of temperature and as a function of the irradiation dose applied. The relaxation time spectra of cross-linked films were observed to display additional relaxation times. Irradiation dose and temperature were shown to influence the relaxation time spectrum of. cross-linked and non-cross-linked films. The crystallization of cross-linked and non-cross-linked polyethylene was compared. It was shown that the lower mobility of the cross-linked molecules affects the final crystallinity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.