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Low density foams produced from sheared ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene gels
Author(s) -
Matthews Flori'da M.,
Hoffman D. Mark
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760301306
Subject(s) - materials science , polymer , nucleation , solvent , crystallization , polyethylene , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene , chemical engineering , shrinkage , composite material , colloid , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , chemistry , engineering
Low‐density foam (0.02–0.09 g/cc) was produced from gels of ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylenes in solvents with melting points above ambient. The hot PE solutions were stirred at high speed to induce extended chain crystalline gels. These gels were subsequently cooled to allow the solvent to solidify and then the solvent was extracted with alcohol or sublimed. This resulted in a tough, low density foam or a collapsed mass depending mainly on the concentration of the polymer. Shrinkage was significant until polymer concentrations reached 4–5%. Foam cell size varied between 5–30 μm, or 25–75 μm depending on the method of preparation. Polarizing microscopy revealed both spherulitic and row‐nucleated structures depending on the thermal history followed during the sample preparation. We were also interested in whether or not small particles could be used to influence the nucleation and growth of the solution crystallization process. These particles could be suspended in the gel and stabilized in something like a colloidal necklace as has been proposed recently. We successfully incorporated small (0.5 μm) tungsten particles in UHMWPE gels which remained in the foam on extraction of the solvent. Polyethylene containing carbon black particles produced less successful results. These effects may be related to absorption associated with gelation of UHMWPE.