Morphological modification of UHMPE fibers

UHMPE fibers can display several morphological features, including skin‐core, microfibrillar and shish‐kebab structures. In this work, an attempt was made to eliminate these morphologies by treating the UHMPE in a two‐roll mill, at temperatures ranging from ambient to 145°C. Up to 130°C the tensile strength and modulus of the fiber were retained, and thermal analysis and crystallographic data showed that ordering in the fiber remained intact. The shish‐kebab and microfibrillar morphologies were greatly reduced and the fiber cross‐section was altered from circular to a flat ribbon.