Time-Resolved Simultaneous SAXS/WAXS of the Drawing of Polyethylene at the Daresbury SRS

A system has been developed which represents a significant advance in the quality and extent of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering data (SAXS and WAXS) that can be recorded simultaneously with strain data during the drawing and annealing of polymer materials. WAXS data are recorded using a Photonic Science charge-coupled-device area detector and SAXS data using a gas-filled multiwire area detector. Strain data, for the region of the specimen from which the SAXS/WAXS data are collected, are calculated from an accurately synchronized continuously recorded video image of the specimen. The system allows X-ray and video image data to be collected as a series of frames with essentially no ;dead-time' between frames. The data are fully two-dimensional and can be collected for a wide range of d spacings. The use of this system to investigate the stress-induced orientation and phase changes during the drawing of a range of grades of commercially available polyethylene is described.