Bjorn, LinneaMelhado Mazza, RenanAndreasson, EskilLinell, FredrikLutz-Bueno, VivianeGuizar-Sicairos, ManuelPersson Jutemar, ElinLiebi, Marianne2023-08-142023-08-142023-08-142023-07-1910.1021/acsapm.3c01007https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/199797WOS:001032158300001Injection molding is known to create a layered anisotropicmorphologyacross the sample thickness due to varying shear and cooling ratesduring the manufacturing process. In this study, scanning small-angleX-ray scattering was used to visualize and quantify the distributionof hierarchical structures present in injection-molded parts of low-densitypolyethylene (LDPE) with varying viscosities. By combining scatteringdata with results from injection molding simulations and tensile testing,we find that oriented shish-kebab structures, as well as elongatedspherulite structures consisting of semicrystalline ellipsoids, contributeto high ultimate tensile strength along the flow direction. Furthermore,we show that a higher degree of orientation is found close to theinjection gate and in LDPE with higher viscosity, consequently fromelevated shear and cooling rates present during the injection moldingprocess.Materials Science, MultidisciplinaryPolymer ScienceMaterials SciencePolymer Sciencepolyethylenescanning saxsmechanical performancemorphologycomputational modelingflow-induced crystallizationisotactic polypropyleneshish-kebabdeformationorientationvalidationbehaviortensilesheartext::journal::journal article::research article