A Study on Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Gel Spinning

In this study UHMWPE monofilaments were produced by the gel spinning method. The rheological behavior of a 2% wt UHMWPE solution (gel) in paraffin oil at 175°C was studied which was in good agreement with power law model. In order to estimate the fiber residence time in the extraction bath, the extraction time was measured as a function of paraffin concentration in the extraction bath. It was also shown that the amount of extracted paraffin decreases with increasing paraffin concentration in the extraction bath. The desorption behavior of paraffin/UHMWPE system is in accordance with Flory-Huggins model.

Keywords:

UHMWPE fiber , rheological behavior , extraction