UHMW Sheet

UHMW sheets will not encourage growth of bacteria or fungus, is self-lubricating, and it meets FDA requirements for direct food contact. It also meets USDA requirements in specific applications.

• Custom cut to your exact specifications
• ePlastics specializes in UHMW and fabrication of industrial plastic sheets, rods and tubing
• UHMW sheets resemble other polyethylenes in superficial characteristics such as texture, color, stiffness, weight and general appearance, but UHMW is superior in physical and mechanical strength
• Standard Virgin UHMW sheet, reprocessed UHMW, oil-filled UHMW, and other grades.
  
• Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene is an extremely high abrasion resistant material. The molecular weights range between 3.1 to 5.67 million.
  
• UHMW sheets have either a planed or skived surface and both have machine marks

Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE)

UHMW-PE is defined as polyethylene whose molecular weight is 3.1 million or higher. When making this determination, it was found that physical properties increased rapidly as lower MW values increased, and then leveled off at the 3,100,000 value. As with most high-performance polymers, processing of UHMW-PE is not easy. Because of its high melt viscosity, conventional molding and extrusion processes would break the long molecular chains that give the material its excellent properties. Current manufacturing methods include compression molding, ram extrusion and warm forging of extruded slugs. UHMW-PE has outstanding abrasion resistance and an extremely low coefficient of friction. Impact strength is high and chemical resistance is excellent.

The material does not break in impact strength tests using standard notched specimens; double-notched specimens break at 20 ft-lb/in (42.1 kJ/m2). UHMW-PE has a crystalline melting point of 267°F (131°C). Recommended maximum service is about 200°F (93°C). Care should be taken when fastening UHMW-PE, as its large thermal expansion can cause the material to buckle between fasteners if they are too far apart.

UHMW-PE APPLICATIONS Conveyor wear strips Snowmobile track sprockets Guide rails Bearings Paper machine suction box covers Parts of textile looms   Chute linings Pipe for distribution of slurry materials Other components requiring maximum abrasion resistance and impact strength and a low friction coefficient