Morphology–mechanical property relations in syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) fibers

Abstract

Abstract Mechanical properties of melt‐spun syndiotactic polypropylene single filament fibers were studied in relation to their formation conditions. Depending on the processing parameters, fibers with rubber‐elastic properties can be prepared. Dynamic mechanical studies show almost unchanged rubber‐elastic properties after 1000 test cycles. A model of the fiber morphology is introduced to explain the rubberelastic behavior: small micel‐like crystals containing molecules in the planar alltrans conformation act as physical crosslinks in the amorphous matrix.