ADVANCED COMPOSITES LETTERS, vol.10, no.2, pp.61-65, 2001 (Journal Indexed in SCI)
The effect of the transcrystalline layer on the longitudinal properties of unidirectional polyethylene/polyethylene (PE/PE) composites was studied. Two sets of PE/PE composites were prepared by quenching and by isothermal crystallisation, respectively, using a wide range of fibre volume fractions. Quenching and isothermal crystallisation were expected, respectively, to prevent or to induce generation of a highly ordered transcrystalline layer. The experimental results showed that isothermal crystallisation produced a substantial positive effect on both the longitudinal strength and modulus, which was attributed to transcrystallinity.