Online Investigation of Optical Properties and Craze Propagation of Drawn Polypropylene Fiber by Using Interferometric Image Analysis

Abstract

Pluta polarizing interference microscope was used to follow the crazing that occur on the surface of stretched polypropylene fibres at different drawing conditions. The samples were stretched until crazing initiated, and then craze propagation was monitored as a function of drawing speed and test temperature. The effect of craze dimension on their propagation velocity was taken into account. Three-dimensional birefringence profile for crazed polypropylene fibre has been demonstrated to investigate the birefringence of crazed fibre at different test times for fixed drawing speed value. Also the mean birefringence values of crazed polypropylene fibres were calculated and the results showed that, these values increased with the areal craze density. Video images were used to calculate the craze velocity. Optical micrographs and microinterferograms were presented for demonstrations.