Multistage drawing process for drawing polymeric elongated objects

A multistage drawing process for drawing polymeric elongated objects, containing a first drawing stage and a final drawing stage and optionally containing at least one intermediate drawing stage subsequent to the first drawing stage and prior to the final drawing stage, the process comprising in the following order the steps of:

• (a) providing a polymeric elongated feed object having a tenacity of between 0.025 GPa and 1 GPa;
• (b) drawing the elongated object in the first drawing stage with a draw ratio of between 30% and 90% of the maximum drawing ratio achievable in the first drawing step;
• (c) optionally drawing the elongated object in the at least one intermediate drawing stage with a draw ratio of between 30% and 90% of the maximum drawing ratio achievable in the at least one intermediate drawing step;
• (d) drawing the elongated object in the final drawing stage with a draw ratio of at most 5 to yield a polymeric elongated object having a tenacity greater than 1.5 GPa.