A method of producing biaxially oriented tubular polyetheretherketone films having good optical and mechanical properties and heat resistance, by rapidly quenching at a rate of at least 24.degree. C. per second an unoriented tubular polyetheretherketone film as melt-extruded through a circular die thereby imparting a crystallinity of not greater than 10% to the film, and continuously introducing the thus produced film into the space between a feed nip roll pair and a pull nip roll pair while reheating the film externally to a temperature of 60.degree.-140.degree. C. and allowing the film to expand under the influence of the internal pressure to an areal draw ratio of 4-36, to thereby attain biaxial orientation.

Extrusion of a homogeneous single phase fusion melt of acrylonitrile polymer and water through a circular die into a steam-pressurized solidification zone enables the tubular film formed to be drawn longitudinally and expanded transversely to provide a biaxially oriented barrier film especially suitable for food wrapping.

Apparatus for preparing seamless, creaseless, pliable, thin-walled tubes comprising means to extrude a moving continuous tube of polymeric film material from a die, means to radially stretch the continuous tube as it emerges from the die, means to longitudinally stretch the tube, and means to sever the tube while the tube is in motion to form tube segments while maintaining the tube substantially free of creases. This apparatus may be employed in a process to prepare seamless, creaseless, pliable, thin-walled tubes.

Apparatus for extruding a pliable, thin-walled tube comprising an extrusion and shaping die assembly comprising an annular die body, a mandrel supported within the annular die body, a mandrel extension mounted on the mandrel adjacent the die outlet, the mandrel extension having a diameter less than the diameter of the mandrel, a sizing disk supported by the mandrel extension, and a source capable of supplying molten polymeric material to the die assembly under pressure to force the material through an annular extrusion flow channel around the mandrel and out the die outlet thereby forming a moving tube of the material, the mandrel extension extending outwardly from the die in the direction in which the tube is extruded, the annular die body having at least one fluid passageway to channel fluid introduced under pressure into the annular die body axially through the mandrel and outwardly from the axis of the mandrel extension to form an air pillow adapted to cool and support the tube around and spaced from the mandrel extension, and the sizing disk being adapted to restrict escape of the fluid and to define a chamber in cooperation with the tube of the molten polymeric material for confining the air pillow around the mandrel extension. This apparatus may be employed in a process to prepare a pliable, thin-walled tube.

Polymeric, thin oriented films can be made by use of a combination of a hot blown process and a blown bubble process, i.e. a double bubble process. The resulting film has use in replacing PVC for in store stretch wrap applications. Very low density polyethylene, VLDPE, is an especially preferred material for this process. It may be used as a monolayer, or as one layer of a multilayer structure. In practicing the invention, the polymer is extruded and hot blown, and heated to a temperature above its orientation temperature. This heating can be accomplished by the use of a heated liquid reservoir or sock disposed at the lower end of the primary bubble, inside the bubble. The hot blown heated film is then passed through a first set of pinch rolls, re-inflated into a blown bubble, and collapsed at a second set of pinch rolls. Thin, tough and elastic packaging materials are obtained by this process.