Fabrication and characterization of multi-filament copper matrix–polyethylene fibres composite wire

In this work, the process of co-drawing followed by bundling and restacking was used to fabricate composite wires with a metallic copper matrix and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) polymer fibres. After processing, copper matrix composite wires with 3770 polymer domains of approximately 20 μm in diameter were obtained. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis, optical microscopy and microhardness measurements were performed on the polymer and the copper components of the composites. The volume fraction and the degree of crystallinity of the polymer remain constant during the drawing. This procedure leads to a lamellar reorganization and fragmentation of the crystalline HDPE phase.