ULTRAHIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE FIBER AND COMPOSITE MATERIAL REINFORCED WITH ULTRA-HIGH-MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE FIBER

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber having modified surface to increase the interaction to a matrix material without necessitating the water-washing and drying procedures after the treatment by continuously treating the surface of an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber with a relatively simple apparatus in air at a high production rate and to obtain a composite material composed of the fiber and the matrix. CONSTITUTION:An ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber is irradiated with ultraviolet ray emitted from a low-pressure mercury lamp under atmospheric pressure in an ozone-circulating atmosphere. The effect can be increased by heating the fiber in the irradiation process. The C-C bond, C-H bond and C-O bond on the fiber surface are dissociated by the irradiation process to activate the surface of the fiber. A fiber-reinforced composite material produced by the use of the fiber has excellent mechanical properties such as flexural strength and elastic modulus.