Abstract
AbstractThe crosslinking of drawn tapes and fibers from ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW‐PE) initiated by UV‐irradiation has been investigated. Both xanthone and sulphuryl chloride (SO2Cl2) appeared to be rather effective photoinitiators and high gel content was obtained after UV‐exposition in air. The effect of crosslinking on the properties of UHMW‐PE tapes and fibers was examined by tensile tests, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. High temperature resistance was shown to increase; photocrosslinked fibers retain the storage modulus being about 100 MPa at 200°C whereas uncrosslinked samples break at 135–137°C. No reducation of mechanical properties was found at ambient temperature and hydrophilization of the surface was observed.
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