Sep 10 2001
UHMWPE is a semi-crystalline, whitish and efficiently opaque engineering thermoplastic which, chemically, is an extremely high molecular weight (3-6 million) HDPE. As a result,it has a very high melt viscosity and can usually be processed only by powder sintering methods. It also has excellent cut and wear resistance and toughness and extremely good chemical resistance, to some extent better than that of HDPE.
Polymer Type
Thermoplastic
Advantages
Outstanding toughness cut and wear resistance. Excellent chemical resistance. Good low temperature impact resistance.
Disadvantages
Not melt processable.
Applications
Can and bottle handling machine parts, moving parts on weaving machines, bearings, gears, artificial joints, chutes and slides for directing particulate solids. Edge protection on ice rinks. Butchers' chopping boards.
Applications also include a number of "wear parts" (example, bottle handling machine components), and marine quay headings. Fibers of extremely high molecular orientation can also be produced from polyethylene of very high molecular weight by gel spinning and subsequent drawing to provide fibers which are reported to be up to 85% crystalline and with 95% parallel orientation.
They are called Ultra High Modulus or High Performance Polyethylene fibers (UHMPE or HPPE). Goodfellow offers a modest range of fiber, braided cord, and fabrics.
Typical Properties
| Property |
Value |
| Density (g/cm3) |
0.945 |
| Surface Hardness |
RR50 |
| Tensile Strength (MPa) |
35 |
| Flexural Modulus (GPa) |
0.5 |
| Notched Izod (kJ/m) |
1.06+ |
| Linear Expansion (/°C x 10-5) |
13 |
| Elongation at Break (%) |
500 |
| Strain at Yield (%) |
25 |
| Max. Operating Temp. (°C) |
55 |
| Water Absorption (%) |
0.01 |
| Oxygen Index (%) |
17 |
| Flammability UL94 |
HB |
| Volume Resistivity (log ohm.cm) |
18 |
| Dielectric Strength (MV/m) |
28 |
| Dissipation Factor 1 kHz |
0.0002 |
| Dielectric Constant 1 kHz |
2.3 |
| HDT @ 0.45 MPa (°C) |
69 |
| HDT @ 1.80 MPa (°C) |
42 |
| Material. Drying hrs @ (°C) |
NA |
| Melting Temp. Range (°C) |
NA |
| Mould Shrinkage (%) |
NA |
| Mould Temp. Range (°C) |
NA |