title: Mechanical response of melt-spun amorphous filaments.
abstract: High-speed melt spinning of a cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) and a copolyamide (CoPA) have been performed. Differential scanning calorimetry curves of the resulting monofilaments show that they remain in an amorphous state even after hot drawing. Wide angle x-ray diffraction patterns of undrawn and drawn COP filaments show that although the material remains in an amorphous state, a degree of orientation is induced in the polymer after drawing. The amorphous filaments show an enhanced bending recovery with respect to different semi-crystalline monofilaments commercially available. However, single fiber axial compressive testing indicates that the amorphous filaments exhibit a compressive modulus value which is 50% lower than what is observed for a reference semi-crystalline PET filament. Analysis of the compressive strains applied by the bending recovery test indicates that while the maximum applied strains remain well within the region of elastic deformation of the amorphous materials, the threshold between elastic and plastic deformation is reached for the semi-crystalline materials.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Feuerwerkstrasse 39, 3602, Thun, Switzerland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland; Center for X-Ray Analytics, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Reifler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Feuerwerkstrasse 39, 3602, Thun, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hufenus
keywords: Amorphous filament; Mechanical properties; Melt spinning