Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Products are high-performance industrial components made from the specialty engineering plastic Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE). With a molecular weight exceeding 1.5 million (typically 3–6 million), UHMWPE exhibits extreme properties far surpassing conventional plastics:
Core Properties
- Exceptional Wear Resistance:
- 6.6× more wear-resistant than carbon steel and 27× more than stainless steel. Annual wear rate as low as 0.58 mm, significantly extending service life.
- Outstanding Impact Resistance:
- Impact strength exceeds standard polyethylene by **>10× at room temperature. Maintains toughness at -269°C** (e.g., liquid nitrogen seals).
- Self-Lubrication & Low Friction:
- Coefficient of friction: 0.07–0.12 (1/5 of steel), reducing wear without lubricants.
Core Application Areas
- Heavy-Duty Wear Parts:
Mine slurry pipelines, pump/valve linings (replaces metal, cuts maintenance costs). - Safety Protection:
Bulletproof vests, helmets, armor plates (absorbs impact energy, 1/8 the density of steel). - New Energy & Electronics:
Lithium battery separators (resists electrolyte corrosion), high-frequency insulators. - Cryogenic Engineering:
Liquid nitrogen tank seals, polar equipment components (stable at -269°C).
Processing Advantages
Formed via compression molding, extrusion, or injection molding, enabling production of:
- Ultra-thick plates (max. thickness 350 mm), complex gears, and precision bushings, meeting dimensional stability demands in extreme environments.
Technical Note: Molecular chain lengths 10–20× longer than standard polyethylene grant UHMWPE its "peak engineering plastic performance," positioning it as an indispensable strategic material for extreme industrial applications.