Planar and fibre textures induced in isotactic polypropylene on equibiaxial hydrostatic deformation

Wide-angle X-ray scattering studies on equibiaxially deformed isotactic polypropylene (i-PP) have been carried out. The equibiaxial deformation is achieved by uniaxial compression below the melting point at 60 and 140°C. The study proves the equibiaxiality of the deformation with the observation of two types of crystal textures referred to as planar and fibrillar. These textures are quantified by relating the intensity distribution for a (110) reflection to the orientation distribution of the crystals. The signature of the fibre-like texture in the intensity distribution (of a given (hkl) reflection) is obvious; the manifestation of the planar texture requires a closer analysis of the pole figure. An 'exact method' of formulation is used to estimate the relative fractions of the two textures. The quantitative change in the relative fraction as a function of compression ratio is explained in terms of a qualitative model based on slip systems. The mechanism of the texture developed in i-PP as a function of compression ratio is discussed in the light of crystal slip systems and the order-disorder transition during the deformation process. The latter phenomenon is shown to be a favourable route to obtaining a high chain orientation and a larger amount of the planar texture relative to the fibrillar texture. © 1994.