There are many possibilities available when selecting the appropriate polymers for your special projects, which can make it challenging to make a decision. UHMW plastic could be the best option for you if you’re looking for a robust, lightweight, and long-lasting plastic. This plastic, often referred to as Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene frequently goes under the radar and is not widely used by manufacturers and enterprises.
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But as it turns out, this plastic is perfect for industrial and commercial uses. For a good reason, too—it offers a wealth of advantages over other kinds of plastic available on the market. Look at this:
UHMW stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, as was previously mentioned. This material is robust and adaptable, with good abrasion, impact, and wear resistance while yet being relatively light. The large molecular weight and surface of UHMW—between 3 and 6 million molecules—are the key to this material’s exceptional qualities. Since of this, UHMW is perfect for high-temperature locations because it won’t melt or transform into molten liquid.
What is Polyethylene Plastic Used For?
In general, polyethylene plastic has a number of beneficial uses. When precautions must be taken as well, it is appropriate due to its strength and longevity. Let’s examine UHMWPE Material and how it may benefit you, spanning a range of commercial and industrial usage.
UHMWPE does not meet the criterion since PTFE is often used in automotive applications in high-temperature settings. However, there are a variety of applications where the components function at room temperature, e.g., automobile doors, seats, hand levers, etc., and UHMWPE can find a lot of use here. We are aware that UHMWPE is employed in the worn strip found within automobile doors. UHMWPE wear strips are often a good, affordable substitute for PTFE wear strips.
Although legal limitations forbid the use of materials other than PTFE in POT bearings, there are several sliding bearing applications that do not comply with government regulations and are thus potential uses for UHMWPE. UHMWPE might be used to make plain sliding pads and sliding bearings successfully.
PTFE has historically been utilized as insulation in many electronics component parts. We have successfully tested UHMWPE for these applications in a number of instances and persuaded the customer to switch.
Materials used in food service must be simple to sanitize while preventing the growth of mold and germs. Additionally, materials must be durable enough to withstand potentially harsh cleansers. UHMW is robust enough to withstand all kinds of cleansers and is rust-resistant. The best part is that it is available in a variety of finishes, making it simple to match a UHMW food shelf to existing decor.
UHMWPE material is ideally suited for conveyor systems because of its capacity to tolerate high temperatures, frequent stress, and chemical exposure. This material is also perfect for making star wheels for conveyor systems, which hasten and effectively move goods through assembly and sorting processes.
UHMW is frequently used to make docks and dock fenders for a good cause. This material can survive moisture for a long time and is water-resistant. Additionally, it is resistant to abrasion. Thus there is almost little risk that it will sustain damage when boats crash into it when docking.
UHMW is frequently used for boom trucks and outrigger pads. UHMWPE Material performs well in these high-stress applications due to its low friction coefficient and excellent impact strength. Outrigger pads can prevent cranes and boom trucks from slipping on unsteady construction sites. Furthermore, UHMWPE Material performs well outdoors since it can withstand a broad range of temperatures.
It might surprise you to hear that impact resistance makes UHMW plastic the perfect material for body armor. Additionally, it is flexible and lightweight, which makes it pleasant to wear and allows it to be twisted into the various sizes and forms required to shape armor properly.
Excellent stress resistance and strong fracture resistance
15 times more resistant to abrasion than carbon steel in terms of wear resistance
Its 40% stronger yarns than Aramid
Its excellent chemical resistance makes it extremely resistant to the majority of alkalis and acids, organic solvents, degreasers, and electrolytic assault
It is harmless.
Outstanding dielectric characteristics
Very low coefficient of friction and self-lubricating (comparable to PTFE)
Non-staining
Endorsed by the FDA for use in food and medicine
Will float in water due to low specific gravity.
Although this can seem like the perfect material, there are a few drawbacks you need to be aware of. UHMWPE is not appropriate for high-temperature applications since it has a lower melting point (297° to 305° F) than several popular polymers. It also has a low coefficient of friction, which may be a disadvantage depending on the application.
Under steady stress, UHMWPE Material yarns can also experience “creep,” which is a progressive elongation of the fibers. Some individuals would see the cost as a drawback, but with UHMWPE, less really is more. Given this material’s robustness, you wouldn’t need to purchase as much as you could with other materials.
Still unsure if UHMWPE is the best material for your product? For the benefit of our clients, Service Thread creates and provides engineered yarns and sewing threads to address product and processing issues. We weave proactive, individualized service throughout all we do. Get in touch with us to learn which fiber is suitable for your application.
UHMW can be the ideal choice for you if you’re looking for a new abrasion-resistant plastic or need one that will last for a long period. Looking at a few of the practical uses that highlight these advantages can encourage you to choose UHMWPE Material for your upcoming project. Please visit the website of Petron Thermoplast and learn more about the product online.
UHMWPE has the following impressive statistics: up to 15 times the abrasion resistance of steel while being 8 times lighter than steel and having 5 times lower coefficient of friction than steel and offering as low as 1/10 the pressure loss of steel pipes. uhmwpe pipes are ideal for the transport of powder and coal ash in thermal power systems, backwater pipelines, the transport of mine tailings and slurry in the mining industry, the high-pressure transport of pulverized coal and coal-water slurry of coal preparation plant in the coal industry, as well as the transport of mud and corrosive media with slag in other industries.
UHMWPE material is 1/8 the weight of mild steel but is high in tensile strength. Also unlike steel, UHMWPE is an inexpensive alternative to metals and ceramics, and because it is self-lubricating, long-wearing, and resistant to abrasion, and corrosion. UHMWPE is well suited for pipe applications that demand high abrasion resistance combined with low friction.
Ultra High Molecular Weight PE is a material with many years very good results in the paper-, conveying-, machining constructions and fishing industry.
UHMW-Pe Pipe for application of high wear mining slurry transport
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) pipeline technology is becoming more and more mature in China, more and more projects use this kind of pipeline, it is becoming a new thermoplastic engineering plastic with moderate price and excellent performance, which almost focuses on the advantages of various plastics, wear resistance, impact resistance, self-lubrication, corrosion resistance, low temperature resistance, health, non-toxic, non-adhesion, non-water absorption and other comprehensive properties. It is a kind of ideal pipe, which is widely used by domestic metallurgical, electric power, chemical and other enterprises.
UHMW-PE
Pipeline characteristics
For water quality fluid, solid particles, powder, slurry, etc., traditional metal pipes are difficult to meet the requirements, but UHMW-PE pipe can take replace of it, with extremely high corrosion resistance, high wear resistance, self-lubricating, impact absorption and other comprehensive properties, in various industries have a wide range of applications. It has unique advantages in the transportation of solid particles, powder, slurry and gas. Beijing Non-ferrous Metallurgy Design and Research Institute "Plastic Pipe wear test Report" pointed out that: with four different materials of the pipe, under the same diameter, flow rate, test materials, concentration conditions of the test, the results are: The average annual wear thickness of glass fiber reinforced polypropylene pipe is 11.mm/ year; Engineering grade polypropylene tube 13.mm/year; UHMW-PE 5.mm/year; Steel pipe 36.mm/ year.
The test result shows that the wear resistance of Uhmwpe Pipe is seven times higher than that of steel pipe. The unique molecular structure of UHMW-PE pipe has the advantages of extremely high anti-sliding friction ability and light weight, and the specific gravity of the unit pipe length is only one-eighth of the weight of the steel pipe, which is more convenient for loading and unloading, transportation and installation, and it can reduce the labor intensity of workers. UHMW-PE pipe has strong anti-aging and is not easy to aging for 50 years. It can not only be used on the ground, but also can be buried underground. And it can be installed through flanged. UHMW-PE pipeline is safe and convenient to install, and labor saving, no need to corrosion prevention, fully reflects the use of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene pipeline "energy saving, environmental protection, economic, efficient" advantages.
2. Application Effect
UHMW-PE pipeline in the transport of high wear mining slurry application.
The concentrator of Lunan Mining Company has an annual processing capacity of 900,000 tons, with complex ore properties. In order to improve the grade of concentrate, it has three closed circuit grinding, three flat surfaces, high-frequency vibration fine screen classification, eight magnetic channels, and heavy joint sorting, and the final concentrate is more than 90% of -200 mesh. The process is complicated, the usage amount of pipeline is large, and the wear of the pipeline is also extremely serious. In particular, the ore containing kaolin and other slime is easy to adhere to and block the pipeline. In order to ensure normal production and reduce the opening and stopping time caused by the pipeline, the company's engineering and technical personnel have been carrying out uninterrupted exploration and attempts to turn the above-ground pipeline to extend the service life. In particular, the environment in the corridor is humid, and the corrosion of the steel pipe is serious. The corrosion resistance is solved by replacing the steel pipe with ordinary high-density plastic pipe, but the pipe is not wear-resistant, and the use effect has been not ideal.
After that, the company has adopted UHMW-PE pipeline produced by Shandong Yanggu Dragon New Material Company to solve the problems of wear, corrosion and mine blocking during production.
UHMW-PE pipe is lightweight and flexible. In the narrow working environment, and in the case of not easy to use cranes and other lifting equipment, the UHMWPE pipe is convenient for manual operation; In the case of large output, tight tasks, short parking maintenance time, and faced with replacing large amount of pipeline works, it greatly shortens the construction period, reduces manpower and material resources, and improves work efficiency.
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UHMW-PE stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. It is the highest quality polyethylene (PE) available, engineered for tough jobs and a wide range of applications. It delivers savings in a number of difficult applications. Ultra High Molecular Weight is the secret of this polymer’s unique properties. Its high-density polyethylene resin has a molecular weight range of 3 to 6 million, compared to 300,000 to 500,000 for high molecular weight (HMW) resins. That difference is what ensures that this material is strong enough to withstand abrasion and impact better than lower level poly products. UHMW-PE’s high molecular weight means it will not melt or flow as a molten liquid. Processing methods are therefore derived from those of powder metal technology. UHMW-PE cannot be transformed and molded by conventional plastic processing techniques (injection molding, blow molding or thermoforming). Compression molding is the most common conversion process used with this resin because it produces a stronger, more consistent product.
TIVAR® is the brand name (from Poly-Hi) for a special formulation of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE). UHMW-PE is a unique family of high-density polyethylene with a molecular weight 3 million or higher. UHMW-PE is a high performance polymer with a high melt viscosity that can be extruded, fabricated or compression molded.
TIVAR® is an acronym for Tough Inert Very Abrasion Resistant.
TIVAR® is known for its high abrasion resistance, natural lubrication, high impact strength, chemical-, corrosion-, and moisture-resistance and acoustic impedance.
Due to its abrasion-, corrosion-, chemical- and moisture-resistant properties, TIVAR® is commonly used in applications where conditions may be too harsh for other materials. It is a cost-effective high performance polymer used to produce low cost, high quality parts.
In most cases, TIVAR® will out-wear materials such as Nylon, Teflon® or Acetal. It can also outperform metals such as steel and aluminum when used in the proper applications. Material performance is of course dependent on the specific environmental conditions.
UHMW is a self-lubricating material which exhibits excellent wear and abrasion properties as well as adding extremely high impact strength. A few of the markets which would utilize these attributes would be snowboard bottoms, package handling, packaging, food processing and automotive.
The high molecular weight is what gives UHMW-PE a unique combination of high impact strength efficient of friction and abrasion resistance that outwears carbon steel 10 to 1 making it more suitable for applications where lower molecular weight grades fail.
Yes, UHMW-PE is both FDA and USDA approved for use in food processing and medical applications.
There are three tests you can perform:
UHMW-PE can operate continuously up to 180 degrees F and intermittently at 200 degrees F with custom blends available to enhance the temperature range up to 300 degrees F. UHMW-PE can perform without degradation at extremely low temperatures (-452 degrees F).
The sustained high temperature use is 180 degrees F and the intermittent use is 200 degrees F.
Not for short times but for longer times above 200 degrees F it loses mechanical properties, abrasion and impact.
Water solutions are generally safe except highly oxidizing chemicals such as bleach. Hydrocarbons such as gasoline, kerosene, oil and grease cause swelling. Chlorinated solvents cause swelling. Organic alcohols, ketones and acids have little effect.
UHMW has no UL recognition. It would be HB on UL-1 – that is slow burning (less than 3″ per minute).
It is hard to tell – maybe some black or other colored specks might be present. The only way to determine is by a sand slurry test. After that test, it would tend to feel stiffer or harder. There may be some increase in modules. If the resin has been reprocessed many times, abrasion and impact resistance can greatly affected.
Yes, UHMW does not absorb water and is chemically inert.
UHMW has the highest abrasion resistance of any thermoplastic polymer. When used as a wear liner, UHMW will not cake or stick to metal. It also offers excellent noise abatement in material handling applications.
No, UHMW is a self-lubricating polymer and requires no additional lubrication.
Hydrogen and nitrogen don't affect it, but oxygen could.
UHMW manufacturers have done extensive research on numerous additives that can enhance a property of UHMW-PE thereby providing customized products to meet customer requirements.
Yes
No, only pigmented white (the standard, stock color) and black FDA can be made. For black, minimum order amounts would apply. Other colors would bleed out at higher temperatures, and therefore something you would want to avoid.
While natural (milky white) and black are standard stock colors, UHMW-PE can be produced in a variety of Pantone colors.
Although TIVAR® never actually melts, it will begin to lose its excellent properties at a temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). TIVAR® will generally perform very well down to cryogenic temperatures, but like other plastics, it will expand and contract with variations in temperatures.
UHMW can be manufactured in conductive or anti-static forms making it ideal for use in electronics and semi conductor applications.
In its natural state, UHMW-PE is not UV stable, but formulations are available to provide UV stability in natural, black or any custom color.
No, you can’t coat UHMW on because of two reasons: It does not melt to form a continuous surface.; It requires pressure to weld all the unmelted particles at high temperatures.
Yes, wear tape is a thin film of UHMW with adhesive backing than can be bonded to the surface.
UHMW can be made in films .003″ through .125″ thick in continuous coil from ¼” up to 24″ wide and cut to length in pieces and in stamped parts.
Tolerance levels are dependent on the manufacturing method and part design. Contact us for specific technical data.
Yes, again the process is much like regular HDPE. Thick sections of UHMW may be more difficult than HDPE because of lower modules. If the plastic is softer, like UHMW, more attenuation of the ultrasonic energy occurs.
Yes, it behaves much like regular HDPE. The minimum temperature is 400 degrees F and the minimum pressure of 300 psi is highly recommended.
0.8%.
Not for most applications. The reason is the large difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of metal and UHMW puts high stresses on the bond if the bond encounters temperature extremes.
There are two methods of adhering – the use of pressure sensitive systems (peel and stick) and allowing UHMW-PE to be bonded using epoxy systems or contact cements. A traditional metal mechanical fastening can also be used if preferred.
Bending or folding sheet can be done efficiently above the melt point at 300 degrees F. At that temperature, it shapes easily. However, it must be fastened in the bent or folded position until cooled.
The minimum UHMW thickness is usually 1/4″. The liner should be thicker in impact areas and thinner in slide areas. Important notes: UHMW cannot be firmly fastened to metals because of a large difference in thermal expansion. UHMW expands five times as fast as steel and three times as fast as aluminum and about the same as wood but slightly more than concrete.
Fasteners are the best way to secure UHMW to metal. The UHMW must be allowed to expand or float. Large flat head fasteners must be used. Fastener shaft holes in UHMW must be over-sized to allow for sheet expansion and contraction.
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