Abstract:
Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp*DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.
Abstract:
Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp*DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.
Abstract:
Processes for removing residual spin solvent from a gel spun, UHMwPE filament having an effective diameter of above 16 μm, comprise the steps of removing residual spin solvent from the filament to a level of below 100 ppm at elevated temperature, while keeping the filament taut. Gel spun UHMwPE filaments having an effective diameter of above 16 μm and a residual spin solvent residue of less than 100 ppm are also provided. Preferably the filament has a creep rate, measured at 50° C., under a load, so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 5·10−6 sec−1.
Abstract:
The present invention is concerned with filled multifilament yarn comprising a UHMWPE with an intrinsic viscosity, a filler with a diameter of at most 20 μm in an amount such that the ratio of the mass of filler to the combined masses of UHMWPE and filler is between 0.02 and 0.50 and whereby the intrinsic viscosity is at most 225 times the filler ratio and whereby at least (i) the coefficient of variation in linear density between the filaments of said yarn is at most 12%, (ii) the coefficient of variation in tenacity (ten) between the filaments of said yarn is at most 12%, or (iii) the coefficient of variation of the Tenacity (TEN) of the multifilament yarn is at most 1.0%. The application is further concerned with a method to produce such yarn and articles comprising such yarn.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a high performance polyethylene (HPPE) member comprising at least 5 wt-% of a radiopaque component, the HPPE member is biocompatible and the radiopaque component is a particulate at least partially arranged inside a HPPE filament of the HPPE member. Furthermore, the radiopaque component has a particle size of at most 1 μm, preferably the radiopaque component has a particle size of at most 0.5 μm. The invention also concerns a method of making the HPPE member and various medical devices and repair products comprising the HPPE member.
Abstract:
Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp*DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.
Abstract:
Suture containing filaments of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE), characterized in that the suture contains a multi-filament yarn that is obtained by a process comprising the steps of: a) Providing a mixture containing UHMwPE, a spinning solvent and a pigment b) Spinning a multi-filament yarn from the mixture by the gel spinning process.
Abstract:
Gel-spinning processes for producing a high tensile strength ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) multifilament yarn comprising ultra-low dtex filaments, include applying a draw ratio DRfluid to fluid filaments obtained by spinning a solution of UHMWPE through a spinneret and into an air gap, is at least 450, wherein DRfluid=DRsp×DRag, the DRsp and DRag being the draw ratios in the spinholes and in the air gap, respectively; and provided that DRag is at least 30. The UHMWPE multifilament yarns produced thereof were characterized by a tensile strength of at least 3.5 GPa and contained filaments having a dtex of at most 0.5. The invention further relates to products comprising said yarns, e.g. fabrics, medical devices and composite and ballistic articles.
Abstract:
Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp*DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.
Abstract:
Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp* DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.