What is UHMW-PE plastic and what is it used for ?

There is one product in the plastics world that is perfect. It is strong, lightweight, impact-resistant, and performs well at low temperatures. This is UHMW plastic. Although it has countless advantages, many companies and manufacturers are not familiar with it. Let me introduce you to UHMW.

What is UHMW PE?

UHMW PE stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, which is an unbranched linear polyethylene with a molecular weight of more than 1.5 million. Molecular formula: —(—CH2-CH2—)—n—, density: 0.920～0.964g/cm3. Heat deformation temperature (0.46MPa) 85 ℃, melting point 130 ~ 136 ℃.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) has unparalleled performance advantages and is a new type of thermoplastic engineering plastic. At present, there is no simple polymer material with so many excellent properties, which can become the “king of plastics”. “.

 

What is UHMWPE used for?

UHMW-PE material can be made into press sheets under a hydraulic pressing machine.  Or can be made into extruded rods under the extrusion machine.  No matter whether UHMW PE sheets or UHMW PE rods both have the same and good properties.  They can be used for:  Chute and hopper linings (flow promotion), Bulk storage, Material handling, Mechanical bearing parts, wear parts,  Food machinery equipment, Marine fender UHMW PE sheets, Replace carbon steel, stainless steel, bronze used in textile, Papermaking, Food machinery,  Transportation, medical machinery, coal machinery, chemical industry, and other departments.

 

Examples: Technical spindle, picking stick, gear, coup, ling, flower stem, buffer block, eccentric block, rod bushing, and other wear-resistant parts in the textile industry. Besides, owing to its wear-resistant is better than carbon steel, it can be shaped into various parts for machinery, including the gear in food machinery, worm gear, worm, bearing, etc.

 

The plastic UHMWPE chain guide is one of the popular application cases, UHMWPE Wear Pad Chain Guide Slide Rail Supply:  Different shape like C, Z, U, T, and other shape is available.

In the video below you can see how the UHMWPE Chain Guide was produced.

3 meters to 6 meters, steel profile, and wear strip are supplied assembled. For other applications pls see below :

Mechanical field

Textile machinery is the earliest application field of UHMWPE. As early as 1958, the representatives include a shuttle picker, shuttle rod, gear, coupling, flower sweeping rod, buffer block, rod bushing, swinging rear beam, etc. Impact wear parts. Papermaking machinery is the second industrial field where UHMWPE is applied. As early as 1960, the representative: UHMWPE wear a strip.

Other alternatives in the field of machinery, applications include various gears, cams, impellers, rollers, pulleys, bearing bushes, bushings, shafts, gaskets, gaskets, elastic couplings, screws, and other mechanical parts.

Transportation field

UHMWPE can be used to make the lining of hoppers, silos, and chutes for powdered materials such as coal, cement, lime, mineral powder, salt, and grain. So that the above-mentioned powdery materials do not adhere to the storage and transportation equipment, and ensure stable transportation.

Oil transportation: The harsh acid soil around the oil field, the corrosion of seawater and natural salt water, the intrusion of the internal sulfur-containing oil, the service life of the steel pipe is very short, and most of the crude oil is of high viscosity, which is easy to deposit during the transportation process, especially in winter, the pipeline needs to be attached Heating system and insulation. Polyethylene pipes can not only solve the problem of heat preservation in winter but also greatly improve the transmission efficiency and the service life of pipes.

Chemical field

UHMWPE has excellent chemical stability and non-water absorption and can be used as a surfacing material and large packaging container for various solution storage equipment, such as buoys, water tanks, gasoline tanks, pesticide containers, and the backwater of solar energy equipment. container etc. This is also one of the most widely used fields of UHMWPE.

UHMWPE containers have excellent drop impact strength. If the container is filled with 20kg of water and dropped from a height to a 10mm thick iron plate, the damage height of the ordinary polyethylene container is only 9m, while the UHMWPE container can be as high as 15m or more.

Food field

UHMWPE has the non-toxicity, water resistance, and non-adhesion required by the food industry. Materials designated for use in direct food contact. It can be used for conveying lines of beer, soft drinks, condiments, etc. When conveying items, it can prevent the breakage of bottles, etc., reduce noise, reduce the wear of conveyor belts, conveyor screws, etc., and reduce power loss, and it can also be used to manufacture meat, milk, candy, preserves, and bread. Food production equipment parts.

Medical field

UHMWPE has excellent physiological inertia and physiological adaptability. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture, it can be used in the fields of medicine and human-body contact, such as heart valves, orthopedic parts, and artificial It is an ideal medical polymer material for clinical use in joints and birth control implants. The artificial hip and knee joint composed of a wrist socket made of UHMWPE and a metal femur have better wear resistance and safety than PTFE. Currently, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have received these artificial joint replacements.

Electronics and electrical fields

UHMWPE has excellent low-temperature resistance, can be used in various refrigeration machinery, and can be used as low-temperature resistant components in the nuclear industry. It is an ideal insulating material in the field of low-temperature superconductivity.UHMWPE has good electrical insulation properties, especially low dielectric loss tangent, and can be used in the manufacture of electroplating tanks, rollers and insulators, insulation carriers, cable ducts, short-circuits, cable terminations, and other operating in the high frequency and ultra-high frequency range. electrical installations.

Final Thoughts

After reading the above content, don’t you think UHMW is an ideal material like me? If you’re looking for strong, hard-wearing plastic, then UHMW is the answer.

Your interested contact will get prompt attention.

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