Method of producing composite structures of ultra-high-molecular- weight polymers, such as ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene products

摘要

Method of producing a single-phase composite structure of filamentary and non-filamentary semicrystalline morphology made from the same polymer, which is of a type capable of gelling in a suitable solvent and of being deformed into a high-modulus, high-strength product. Layers of the polymer in sheet form are interleaved with at least one layer, also of that polymer, made from filaments thereof. The method of making the product may involve heating a sheet of UHMWPE or other polymer gel (5% UHMWPE in 95% paraffin oil, by weight) to 125 C., applying a knitted UHMWPE high modulus, high-strength structure on one side thereof, extracting the non-volatile paraffin oil therefrom with hexane, and evaporating the hexane.