Microphase structures and 13C NMR relaxation parameters in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

The phase transformations in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene（UHMWPE）gel-filmsupon superdrawing have been studied by X-ray diffraction and high resolution solid state 13C NMR.Themorphological change and molecular motions in the crystalline phase,amorphous phase and interphase are dis-cussed according to the 13C nuclear relaxation time(T1c,T2cresults.A brief interpretation to the three orfour T1cvalues in the crystalline phase is presented.It is found that the component with the highest T1c(T1cα)plays a key role in the forming of ’Shish-Kebab’ microfibril which determines the sample strength andmodulus,namely,the greater the T1cα,the higher the modulus and strength of the drawn UHMWPEgel-film.These results support the ’Shish-Kebabs’ model in crystalline polymers.