Orientation and crystallinity measurements in film casting products

Film casting experiments were carried out with iPP under processing conditions causing the crystallization process to occur under orienting flow. Draw ratio and cooling rates were changed by varying mass flow rates and die thickness. The effect of processing conditions on film crystallinity was investigated by combining WAXS and FT-IR transmission methods, while orientation of both phases was measured by IR dichroism (according to Fraser's method) and successfully compared to birefringence measurements on final films. Crystallinity appears to be almost insensitive to draw ratio and cooling rate. Moreover the crystallinity profile turned out to be also constant along the transverse film direction. Phases orientation were found relatively low and no dependence on draw ratio was detected.