Molecular orientation behavior of isotactic polypropylene under uniaxial stretching by rheo-Raman spectroscopy

The molecular orientation behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) is investigated by using in situ Raman spectroscopy under tensile tests. A versatile method of the tilt-angle correction for the orientation parameters is newly developed, where the molecular orientation in highly oriented specimens is assumed to be entropically favorable. The real-time changes of orientation parameters and orientation distribution functions are determined for the molecular chain axis of iPP during uniaxial stretching. The molecular orientation remains random in the elastic region, and increases after the first yield point. In the yielding region, a broad distribution of orientation toward an intermediate angle of 30-70 from the stretching direction is observed. This is interpreted as reorientation of the crystalline chains being hindered by rigid, bulky lamellar cluster units. After the yielding region, orientation toward the stretching direction proceeds rapidly, approaching highly oriented states.