Morphology and properties alterations in cavitating and non-cavitating high density polyethylene

Cavitation phenomenon has been marginalised in the past, although it alters morphology and properties of semicrystalline polymers during their plastic deformation. The formation of cavitational pores are due to the loss of cohesion by the amorphous phase. The research in this paper has been conducted on cavitating and non-cavitating high density polyethylenes with identical microstructure of the crystalline component, however, with modified amorphous phase. The influence of cavitation on selected properties and mechanisms activated during tensile deformation of high density polyethylene has been systematically studied including the alterations of yield stress and yield strain, the strain onset of activation of crystallographic slips and martensitic transformation, the intensity of the lamellae fragmentation, the degree of molecular orientation and the amount of heat generated during deformation