Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE for short) is a polymer material made of polyethylene (polyethylene), and its molecular weight is usually above 1.5 million, which is much higher than the molecular weight range of ordinary polyethylene (20,000 to 300,000). Due to the long molecular chain of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, the material has many excellent properties such as low density, low water absorption, wear resistance, impact resistance, self-lubrication, chemical corrosion resistance and low temperature resistance, and is widely used in industry, medical, military and other fields.
In terms of application fields, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is widely used in the manufacture of various wear-resistant and impact-resistant parts, such as anti-corrosion linings and sliding bearings in the chemical industry, anti-corrosion materials and sealing materials in pipelines in the power industry, oil production and sewage treatment process equipment in oil extraction, as well as wipers in the papermaking industry, retaining wheels and pressing rollers in the textile printing and dyeing industry, etc. In addition, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheets are also used to manufacture large containers, clean room equipment, ice machine conveyor belts for refrigerated vehicles, and bus floors due to their light weight, high strength and good wear and corrosion resistance. In the field of fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, with their high strength, high modulus, and excellent wear resistance, impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and light resistance, have shown broad application prospects in military, protection, marine, and sports fields, opening up new paths for the future development of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.
In terms of production technology, the processing of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene has always been a technical problem. Due to its extremely high viscosity and poor fluidity, it is difficult to form it by traditional mechanical processing methods. However, with the continuous development of processing technology, the processing methods of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene have evolved from the initial pressing-sintering molding to today’s extrusion, blow molding, injection molding and other methods. In addition, there are some special molding technologies, such as gel spinning technology, which provide strong support for the preparation of high-strength and high-modulus ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. These technological advances have made the production of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene more efficient and expanded its application areas.
From the perspective of global market development, the global ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene market has continued to grow in recent years, especially in developed countries or regions such as the United States, Japan and Europe, where the application scope of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene has continued to expand. In 2023, the global demand and production capacity of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers will show an upward trend, but the problem of imbalance between market supply and demand will become increasingly prominent.