Effect of Entanglement Degree on Condensed State Structure and Impact Strength of Ultra-High Relative Molecular Mass Polyethylene

doi:10.19894/j.issn.1000-0518.240175

Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 58-68.DOI: 10.19894/j.issn.1000-0518.240175

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Effect of Entanglement Degree on Condensed State Structure and Impact Strength of Ultra-High Relative Molecular Mass Polyethylene

Xin-Yue SONG¹^,², Ben-Min HU¹^,², Shuai MENG², Heng-Chong SHI¹^,², De-An SHI³, Zhao-Yang WANG²(), Hua-Wei YANG²(), Shi-Fang LUAN¹^,²

^1.State Kay Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry，Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Changchun 130022，China
^2.School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering，University of Science and Technology of China，Hefei 230026，China
^3.Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials，School of Materials Science and Engineering，Hubei University，Wuhan 43006，China

Received:2024-05-31 Accepted:2024-11-28 Published:2025-01-01 Online:2025-01-24
Contact: Zhao-Yang WANG,Hua-Wei YANG
About author:yanghw@ciac.ac.cn；
wzhaoyang2012@ciac.ac.cn
Supported by:
the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2020YFC1106903);the Weigao Plan of Chinese Academy of Sciences(2023QT03)

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Abstract

Abstract:

A disentangled ultra-high relative molecular mass polyethylene （UHMWPE） together with 11 commercial samples were systematically studied to investigate the influence of entanglement on the condensed state structure and to correlate the condensed state structure of UHMWPE to its impact strength. It was found that with the increase of entanglement degree the crystallization activation energy decreases at first and then grows rapidly， while the degree of crystallinity is not influenced greatly. The long spacing period of UHMWPE behavior the same trend of crystallization activation energy with the growth of entanglement degree. High degree of melt entanglement will promote UHMWPE to have thick lamellar stacking structure. Finally， by correlating the condensed state structure with the impact strength， it is discovered that there is a strong linear correlation between the impact strength and the thickness of the amorphous phase with a goodness of fit up to 0.94. The impact strength of UHMWPE can be improved by reducing the thickness of the amorphous region.

Key words: Ultra-high molecular mass polyethylene, Entanglement, Long spacing period, Condensed state structure, Izod notched impact strength

CLC Number:

O631.2

Xin-Yue SONG, Ben-Min HU, Shuai MENG, Heng-Chong SHI, De-An SHI, Zhao-Yang WANG, Hua-Wei YANG, Shi-Fang LUAN. Effect of Entanglement Degree on Condensed State Structure and Impact Strength of Ultra-High Relative Molecular Mass Polyethylene[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry, 2025, 42(1): 58-68.

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 Overview of UHMWPE samples studied

Samples	Mark	Source	10^-6M_v/（g·mol^-1）
dis-PE-600	/	Synthesized	6.0
PE-150-0.54	LL1040	SRICI	1.5
PE-500-0.91	LL500	SRICI	5.0
PE-500-0.83	U050	KPIC	5.0
PE-500-0.82	GUR 4022	CE	5.3
PE-500-0.73	GUR 4120	CE	4.7
PE-700-0.91	LL7040	SRICI	7.0
PE-700-0.79	GUR 4152	CE	7.6
PE-700-0.78	GUR 4130	CE	6.7
PE-900-0.88	U090	KPIC	9.0
PE-900-0.87	LL9040	SRICI	9.0
PE-900-0.76	GUR 4150	CE	8.7

Fig.1 （A） Elastic shear modulus buildup dynamic time sweep test of disentangled UHMWPE， the dashed line shows different stages of entanglement density increasing；（B） Elastic shear modulus buildup of different molecular mass entangled UHMWPE （commercial）（the measurement was carried out at 160 ℃， at a constant frequency 10 rad/s and strain 0.5%）

Fig.2 Relationship between （A） crystallinity （Xm） and the normalized elastic modulus （GNt）；（B） Relationship between crystallization activation energy （ΔE）， long spacing period （l） and the normalized elastic modulus （GNt）

Fig.3 （A） Crystallinity （Xm），（B） crystallization activation energy（ΔE） and （C） long spacing period（l）（1 ℃/min cooling molding） variation of UHMWPE with different entanglement density （GN60?min）

Fig.4 SEM of UHMWPE （commercial） with different entanglement density of melts after forming lamellar spacing calculated statistical diagram

Fig.5 Differences in the entangled states of the noncrystalline regions of the semicrystalline UHMWPE at different stages of experiments conducted in this study

Fig.6 Impact strength of UHMWPE （commercial） with different entanglement density of melts after forming

Fig.7 Relationship between UHMWPE （commercial） izod notched impact strength and （A） long spacing period （l），（B） the mean lamellae thickness （lc） and （C） the average thickness of amorphous layers （la）；（D） Schematic diagram of deformation of amorphous region and lamellar slip of UHMWPE under impact force

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Effect of Entanglement Degree on Condensed State Structure and Impact Strength of Ultra-High Relative Molecular Mass Polyethylene

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