Heat Effect Due to Monoclinic-to-Orthorhombic Phase Transition in Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene

We analyze heat effects associated with the solid-state phase transition in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene from the unstable monoclinic phase into thermodynamically stable orthorhombic phase. The model proposed here for the structure of supramolecular formations of monoclinic phase does not contradict to earlier X-ray diffraction data for this polymer.