Properties
- Easy to fabricate
- Low friction
- Extremely tough and durable
- Excellent abrasion resistance
- Good chemical resistance
- Low moisture absorption
Typical Uses
- Food processing machinery parts
- High speed conveyors
- Chute, hopper, and truck bed liners
- Wear strips and guide rails
- Star wheels and idler sprockets
- Packaging machinery parts
- Bumpers, pile guards, and dock fenders
|
|
UHMW Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
UHMW or UHMWPE (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) is a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made. It is highly resistant to corrosive chemicals, with the exception of oxidizing acids. It has extremely low moisture absorption, is self-lubricating, and is highly resistant to abrasion (15 times more resistant to abrasion than carbon steel). Its coefficient of friction is significantly lower than that of acetal. It is odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic.
The combination of physical properties makes this a versatile material for applications in the food processing industry to many other industrial applications using wear strips, chain guides, fender pads, and even cutting boards for food service.
UHMW is available in special grade including a blue for food applications. Reprocessed UHMW is made with a percentage of recycled UHMW for a great low cost alternative. TIVAR® 88 is a UHMW designed specifically as a liner for chutes.
Chemically, UHMW is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. It has extremely long chains, with molecular weight numbering in the millions, usually between 2 and 6 million. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions.
Other names for UHMW are high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) or high-performance polyethylene (HPPE),
|
|