Polyethylene solution spinning

Production. Recognition that the shish-kebab fibers produced by the surface-growth procedure result from the deformation of a gel-like entangled network layer at the rotor surface led to the development of gel-spun polyethylene fibers. The fiber is made by the solution spinning method. The polymer is... 

Spectra AUied Signal s trade name for its ultrathin polyethylene fibers that are about 10 times stronger than steel. See fiber processing, gel-spinning fiber processing, solution-spinning. 

Paul Smith PJL (1980) Ultra-high-strength polyethylene filaments by solution spinning/ drawing. J Mater Sci 15 505-514... 

Polyethylene gel spinning (dilute solutions of UHMW polymer)... 

The above solution-spinning/drawing process, incorrectly referred to as gel-spinning, has now been commercialized by DSM/Toyobo (41) and, under DSM licence, by Allied. The commercially available fibers typically have a tensile strength of 3.5 GPa, and a modulus of 100-150 GPa. The major drawback of these materials is their low upper use temperature (-- 130 °C) in comparison with aramids the polyethylene fibers out-perform aramids, however, in abrasion resistance and impact strength. 

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