Method of manufacturing ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for manufacturing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. The method comprises the following steps: stirring ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder and a solvent to form a resin; heating the resin, and blending the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder and the solvent in the resin in a molten state to form a melt; extruding the melt while maintaining the molten state; pre-pressing the melt into a base film; calendering the base film into a film; extracting the solvent to form a dry film; pre-stretching the dry film to form a pre-drawn slitting the pre-stretched film to form a slit film; stretching the slit film to form a stretched film; heating the stretched film to set the stretched film. The method of the invention can continuously produce ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers with stable quality.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to methods of fiber manufacture, and more particularly to a method of making ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. Background technique [0002] Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE for short, molecular formula: —(—CH 2 -CH 2 —)—n—) refers to unbranched linear polyethylene with a viscosity average molecular weight greater than 1.5 million. [0003] Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber is a fiber made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The ultra-high molecular weight makes the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber have excellent properties such as strong wear resistance, good lubricity, high strength, stable chemical properties, and anti-aging. Therefore, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers are used in national defense military equipment (for example, body armor, helicopters, tanks and ship armor protection panels, etc.), aerospace (for example,...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] Unfortunately, due to the following factors, it is difficult for existing manufacturing methods to continuously manufacture UHMWPE fibers with stable quality:

[0006] (1) Due to the extremely poor fluidity of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the molten state, it is difficult to extrude continuously, which directly hinders the continuity of production;

[0007] (2) Due to the slow flow of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the molten state in the spinneret, it is easy to mix into the air gap, and the mixed air gap is easy to stretch the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the spinneret, resulting in the extrusion formed UHMWPE spun filaments are uneven and easily broken on the spinneret surface, so the quality of UHMWPE spun filaments cannot be guaranteed;

On the downside, an increase in the draw ratio leads to a significantly higher generation of fuzz, which reduces the quality of UHMWPE fibers

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