Shish kebab formation on polyethylene monofilaments

A study has been made on skin formation of melt spun polyethylene monfilaments, which were solidified in air or in cold solvents and non‐solvents. Application of air or non‐solvents, such as water and acetone, as cooling media induced spherulitic crystallisation of the polymer, as was revealed in the scanning electron microscope. When the flowing polyethylene melt was quenched in good solvents, a 0.5 mm thick layer of lamellar or shish kebab structures developed on the polymeric fibres. It was established that shish kebabs were formed when the solvents, in which the polymer filament was quenched, were boiling during this solidification process.