The drawing behavior of polyvinylalcohol fibers

The solid-state drawing behavior and properties of solution-spun polyvinylalcohol fibers were investigated. A comparsion was made with solution-spun, ultra-drawn polyethylene fibers. The maximum attainable draw ratio of polyvinylalcohol fibers is low ( 20), even at optimized conditions with respect to polymer concentration in solution. In contrast to polyethylene, the maximum attainable draw ratio hardly increases with increasing molecular weight. However, high modulus ( 70 GPa) and strength ( 2.3 GPa) polyvinylalcohol fibers can be produced, despite the low maximum attainable draw ratio. It is suggested that the observed phenomena, with respect to both the drawing behavior and properties of polyvinylalcohol fibers, originate from intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the polymer.