This greateraccuracy in defining th

This greateraccuracy in defining the micro-crystallinity of the polymer allows a new combination of performance parameters to be observed, as seen in Table 2. PE polymers combining hightemperature performance with flexibility or better long-term creep for a given crystallinity are nowpossible.Tie chains play a key role in long term ductile creep behavior. By introducing short side chains viathe incorporation of co monomers, imperfections in the polymer structure are created. The hexylside group, from the octene co-monomer, is too big to be incorporated in the lamellar crystalstructure and the polymer chain is pushed out of the crystal. When this chain now is incorporatedin another crystal, a tie chain is formed.