Stress-Stabilized Crystalline Phases of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene under Tensile Stress

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a semicrystalline polymer renowned for its exceptional mechanical properties, making it a popular material in various high-tech fields. Its mechanical attributes are predominantly governed by its crystalline structures, which may experience alterations in the chain conformation and interchain packing during mechanical deformation. This phenomenon leads to the emergence of distinct polymorphs with unique lattice structures. The investigation of stress-stabilized crystal structures of UHMWPE under tensile stress currently poses challenges with certain aspects remaining unclear. To address this, in this study, time-resolved X-ray wide-angle scattering (TR-WAXS) experiments of biaxially stretched UHMWPE films under in situ tensile conditions were conducted. Experimental results revealed two distinct stress-stabilized crystal phases of UHMWPE that differed from those previously reported. These stress-stabilized phases have been identified as the stress-stabilized orthorhombic crystal phase and the stress-stabilized monoclinic crystal phase, and their corresponding lattice parameters have been accurately calculated through an ab initio computational method. These findings provide deeper insights into UHMWPE's behavior under mechanical strain, opening other avenues for further academic exploration and potential applications in cutting-edge fields.