Lamellar morphology of high molecular weight poly(ether ether ketone) after rolltrusion

A rolltrusion technique has been applied to impose high molecule orientation in unreinforced poly(ether ether ketone). The relationships among processing, microstructure and properties were characterized. The morphology was controlled and investigated in the microstructural levels of crystallinity, chain orientation, lamellae and spherulite colony. The density measurements detected an increase in crystallinity after rolltrusion. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) diffraction experiments showed the preferred c-axis chain orientation along the rolltrusion direction. The internal microstructure, revealed by permanganic etching and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), changed from randomly distributed lamellae to a row structure. The lamella thickness was estimated to be about 100 Å.