Self-Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Prepared by Low Frequency Vibration-Assisted Injection Molding. II: Microstructure Investigation

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) were employed to study the microstructure of self-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) prepared by conventional injection molding (CIM) and a low frequency vibration-assisted injection molding (VAIM). SEM micrographs following permanganic etching showed the self-reinforcement of HDPE is mainly due to the existence of shish-kebab morphology within the core region for VAIM-processed HDPE samples. Pronounced molecular alignment was identified by the WAXD data. An approximate 9% increase in the crystallinity was confirmed by DSC. Both preferred molecular orientation and increased crystallinity serve to yield stronger VAIM-processed injection moldings.