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Critical Resolved Shear Stress for [001] Slip in Polyethylene

Nature Physical Science volume 229, pages 23–25 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

WE wish to report evidence for slip in the [001] direction (the direction of the molecular chains) at a well defined critical resolved shear stress in specially prepared samples of oriented crystalline polyethylene (Rigidex 9, British Resin Products Ltd). Bulk polyethylene usually contains small crystallites about 400 Å thick formed from folded chains, with amorphous polymer in between, and the properties of the bulk sample therefore do not reflect the properties of a single crystal. By careful annealing under hydrostatic pressure it is possible to make polyethylene crystallize with extended chains1 and such a sample is much more likely to exhibit single crystal properties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgy, University of Cambridge,

    P. B. BOWDEN & R. J. YOUNG

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  1. P. B. BOWDEN
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  2. R. J. YOUNG
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BOWDEN, P., YOUNG, R. Critical Resolved Shear Stress for [001] Slip in Polyethylene. Nature Physical Science 229, 23–25 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229023a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229023a0

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