Enhancement of Adhesive Strength of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fibers Prepared by Polar Polymer Implantation

摘要

A new technique was proposed to enhance the adhesive strength of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. Polar polymer was implanted into UHMWPE gel fibers during extracting process and can then be trapped en the surface of the fibers after subsequent ultra-drawing. The physical and chemical changes in the fiber structure were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The mechanical and interfacial adhesion properties of UHMWPE fibers were investigated with tensile testing. The results showed that there wee polar groups on the surface of pretreated UHMWPE fiber. The interracial shear strength of UHMWPE fibers with epoxy resin was greatly improved without socrificing the excellent mechanical properties of fibers. After pretreated with ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), the shear strength of the interface between fiber and epoxy resin increased from 1.06 to 2.49 MPa, while the integrated mechanical properties of the pretreated UHMWPE fibers ware still optimal.