RADICAL FORMATION AND FRACTURE OF HIGHLY DRAWN CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS.

In this article a short description of basic observations and their interpretation on the basis of the microfibrillar model of fiber structure is given in reference to the fracture phenomena. The microfibrillar model of fiber structure assumes extremely strong microfibrils of 100 to 200 A diam and some 10 mu length as the basic element. The strength of the microfibril is the consequence of many tie molecules bridging the amorphous layers sandwiched between the crystal cores of subsequent crystal blocks.