Effects of spinning conditions on the mechanical properties of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene fibers

Abstract

We investigated the tensile strength and modulus of ultrahigh‐strength polyethylene (UHSPE) fibers obtained by using the special two‐step‐drawing process of as‐spun fiber (ASFs) which were prepared by the so‐called gel‐spinning method. We have found that the higher the ASF's spinning speed is, the higher the attainable tensile strength σf and modulus E are. For all the fibers drawn from ASFs with various spinning speed except for 120 m/min, we have found a master curve for the inverse of σf which is plotted as a function of T1/4E−1/2, where T is the linear density of the drawn fibers, in consistent with the Griffith theory: a thicker fiber obtained with a lower spinning speed exhibits lower strength, although all the AFSs possess the same value of E. This also suggests that a thicker fiber contains more defects which would lead to the Griffith‐type crack propagation breakage. Moreover, from morphological observation of ASFs under transmission electron microscopy, the ASF obtained at a relatively low spinning speed possesses a heterogeneous cross‐sectional morphology, whereas that obtained at relatively high spinning speed possesses a relatively homogenous morphology. We propose that this morphological evidence may account for the experimental findings of the behavior of the mechanical properties described above. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2639–2652, 2005

Structural Evolution of UHMWPE Fibers during Prestretching Far and Near Melting Temperature: An In Situ Synchrotron Radiation Small‐ and Wide‐Angle X‐Ray Scattering Study

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Two‐stage drawing process to prepare high‐strength and porous ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene fibers: Cold drawing and hot drawing

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Investigation of the extraction process in gel‐spinning technology for ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene fibers by low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance

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