New model for the high modulus and strength performance of ultradrawn polyethylenes

A new morphological model is discussed which is based on the relation of tensile modulus and strength to the macrofibrillar dimensions (aspect ratio) and the shear modulus of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibrillar structures of draw ratio DR ≤ 200–300. Such structures were obtained by solid state deformation of the as‐received powder and solution grown crystals using an extrusion‐drawing process. According to this model, the highest tensile modulus and tensile strength values that can be obtained are 212 GPa and 13.3 GPa, i.e., significantly close to the theoretically calculated values. Copyright © 1988 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.