Russian researchers have developed new techniques for producing UHMW-PE

The catalytic research institute of the Russian Siberian Branch has recently developed a new technology to prepare Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene materials by non-melting method.

The main purpose of the development of UHMW-PE materials is to apply to extreme conditions in the arctic region, and the polymer materials should be able to withstand temperatures of minus 70-75 degrees Celsius. When polyethylene is more than 1 million, there are some unique properties: High Impact Resistance, Cold Resistance, Corrosion Resistance, Wear Resistance and Low Friction Coefficient. UHMW-PE Fiber also has unique quality characteristics; its products are lighter than water and 1.5 times lighter than aramid fiber products. At present, there is about 100 million tons of polyethylene in the world every year, of which only 300,000 tons (0.3 percent) UHMW-PE materials are produced, and only 17,000 tons of them are processed into fiber. The reasons for low yield are complex production and high consumption of resources, to aggregate first dissolved in organic solvent boiling gel, the gel that can be used to make fiber material content is not more than 2-5%, then drying and wire drawing, cause the entire process of high energy consumption and high product cost.

This new catalyst developed by catalytic research institute of the Russian Siberian Branch, adopted non-melting method to prepare the UHMW-PE material, which opened up a new way to reduce the cost of product preparation. UHMW-PE products can be widely used in medical, textile and the materials to reinforce the runway in the cold area.