Teijin Aramid B.v.

Joris Eem Van Der

Anton Peter De Weijer

Sanjay Rastogi

Johannes Bos

Martinus Wilhelmus Maria Gemma Peters

Hendrik Van De Hee

Gerwin Elderman

An UHMWPE film having a tensile strength of at least 2.0 GPa, a tensile energy to break of at least 30 J/g, an Mw of at least 500 000 gram/mole, and a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6, and a film width of at least 5 mm. The film may be manufactured via a process which comprises subjecting a starting UHMWPE with a weight average molecular weight of at least 500 000 gram/mole, an elastic shear modulus determined directly after melting at 160&#xb0; C. of at most 1.4 MPa, and a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6 to a compacting step and a stretching step under such conditions that at no point during the processing of the polymer its temperature is raised to a value above its melting point. The film may be used as starting material in any applications where high tensile strength and high energy to break are important. Suitable applications include ballistic applications, ropes, cables, nets, fabrics, and protective applications.

Polyethylene film with high tensile strength and high tensile energy to break

A process for manufacturing high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, including subjecting a polyethylene tape with a weight average molecular weight of at least 500,000 grams/mole, a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6, and a 200/110 uniplanar orientation parameter of at least 3 to a force in the direction of the thickness of the tape over the entire width of the tape. A polyethylene fiber having a Mw of at least 500 000 gram/mole, a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6, and a 020 uniplanar orientation value of at most 55&#xb0;.

Method for manufacturing high molecular weight polyethylene fibers

The present invention pertains to a polyethylene film and a process for manufacturing such film. The polyethylene film may have a ratio between the strength in a first direction in the film plane and the strength in a second direction in the film plane perpendicular to the first direction in the range of 0.1-10:1, the strength in at least one direction being at least 0.2 Gpa. The process for manufacturing a polyethylene film may have a starting UHMWPE polymer with an average molecular weight of at least 500,000 grams/mole, an elastic shear modulus determined directly after melting at 160&#xb0; C. of at most 1.4 MPa, and a Mw/Mn ratio of at most 6 to a solvent-free compacting process and a stretching process under such conditions that at no point during the process the temperature of the intermediate polymer film is raised to a value above its melting point.

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Arnhem, Netherlands

Joris Eem Van Der