Deformability of polyvinyl chloride in creep conditions

Abstract Creep and necking processes of PVC have been studied using the direct structural methods: birefringence, X-ray structural analysis and electron microscopy. It is shown that the creep process is associated with the disruption of the supramolecular organization of the polymer. A structural pattern of the processes developing at different stages of creep of PVC is proposed. It is shown that the structural conversions on creep of PVC are based on the process of the local orientation rearrangement with formation of distinctive micronecks on reaching a certain critical concentration of which the macroscopic neck begins to form. The supramolecular organization of the polymer to the point of crystallites in the region of the neck is disrupted.