Patent · US Expired

Method for processing polyethylene having a molecular weight of at least 400,000 by heating at an elevated pressure

US6433120B1 · kind B1 · utility

6Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 1999
Grant dateAug 13, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB29K2023/0683
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for processing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) of at least 400,000 by heating under an elevated pressure, followed by cooling, wherein UHMWPE having a lamellar thickness <12 nm and a melting temperature at atmospheric pressure >141&deg; C. is used, by carrying out the heating under an elevated pressure via a transient hexagonal phase, which phase is represented by the hatched area in the Figure, which lies below the equilibrium line of the phase transition orthorhombic phase&#8212;liquid phase, which area is enclosed by points (P1, T1&#8242;), (P2, T1&#8242;), (P2, T2) and (P1, T1 ), wherein T1 and T2 represent the equilibrium temperatures associated with pressures P1 and P2 respectively, followed by heating to melting and cooling to ambient temperature.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.