Orientation of polyoxymethylene by rolling with side constraints

In this paper, we describe the application of the constrained rolling process to produce highly oriented polyacetal bars with enhanced mechanical properties. In this process, the heated polymer billet is deformed in a channel formed in the circumference of the bottom roll that provides lateral constraint to the material as it deforms. It is a process that has attracted interest due to its capability to produce thick cross-sectional oriented products continuously and at moderate production speeds. Here the focus is on two commercial grades of polyoxymethylene (a) Delrin® 100 and (b) Tarnoform® 300. Tarnoform®, unlike Delrin®, is a copolymer. The compression behaviour of these grades has been investigated in a plane strain channel die to determine the optimum constrained rolling conditions. Samples were then rolled to different reduction ratios close to but below the crystalline melting temperature of the two grades. dulus and strength increased almost linearly with reduction ratio. Rolled Delrin® exhibited higher modulus and strength than Tarnoform®. Under impact loading, with the initial notch perpendicular to the rolling direction, the fracture process was incomplete for both resins with the specimens exhibiting a hinge type break. Structural investigations of the rolled samples were carried out by wide and small angle X-ray diffraction. The structures produced were very similar to those produced in plane strain compression test. The pole figures from the (100) reflection suggest that the c axes of the POM crystals are oriented along the rolling direction while ab planes showed clustering of orientation of (100) normals in six directions. SAXS patterns from the rolled samples with the X-ray beam parallel to the force direction showed two-point patterns that suggest the transformation of the spherulitic morphology to a fibrillar structure in this direction. However, perpendicular to the rolling direction, four-point patterns were obtained that suggest cooperative kinking of the lamellae during deformation to produce a chevron-like structure. The enhancement in properties as a result of molecular orientation suggests that these materials can have major commercial applications.