Ultrahigh modulus polyethylene fiber

Tissington, B., Pollard, G. and Ward, I.M. (1991). A study of the influence of fiber/resin adhesion on the mechanical behavior of ultrahigh modulus polyethylene fiber composites. J. Mater. Sci. 26, 82-92. 

Ishida H and Bussi B (1991) Surface induced crystallization in ultrahigh-modulus polyethylene fiber-reinforced polyethylene composites. Macromolecules 24 3569-3577. 

We close this section with a few comments regarding the ultrahigh-modulus acrylic fibers. It is estimated that the theoretical crystalline modulus for polyethylene is 240 GPa hence there has been an intense effort over the last 10-15 years to develop spinning processes to exploit the high-modulus potential. This goal has been achieved by gel-spinning techniques [177]. Allen et al. [178] have estimated the theoretical modulus that might be obtained for... 

Extended-chain polyethylene fiber became available commercially in 1984 when DSM, a Dutch firm in the Netherlands, introduced Dyneema , and Mitsui Petrochemicals in Japan announced Tekmilon . Allied Signal of the United States entered the field in 1985 when it introduced Spectra fibers. These materials are characterized by very high strength and modulus, which are achieved by the use of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene spun by the gel spinning method into fibers having extended-chain structures and near perfect orientation. 

Polyethylene can be made into a high-strength, high-modulus fiber (tradenamed Spectra by Allied Signal, Inc.) and then into a fabric. The polyethylene is an ultrahigh-molecular-weight polymer. The density of Spectra is the lowest of all fibers, which makes its use in aerospace laminates especially attractive. However, laminates must not be exposed to temperatures over 250°F. Spectra has very attractive electrical properties with low dielectric constant and loss factor. These properties are useful in radomes. Spectra is also used in ballistic applications like helmets and aircraft panels. 

Highly oriented flexible-chain polymers, in particular ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers prepared by gel spinning process, as suggested by Smith and Lemstra [322], exhibit the extremely high mechanical strength and modulus of elasticity rather close to the theoretical estimates. At the same time, these fibers reveal decreased creep resistance which substantially restricts their application potential. 

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