REDUCED CREEP HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME

摘要

A method for forming reduced creep high molecular weight polyethylene articles, involves irradiating a high molecular weight polyethylene fiber or block, where the polyethylene is polycrystallinc with a preferred crystal orientation. The fiber or block is irradiated in an environment including a molecule with a dual reactive functionality to provide cross-linking in the amorphous regions and/or on the surface and an inert gas at a temperature that is below an average alpha transition temperature of the polyethylene. The irradiation can be carried out on a polyethylene fiber by drawing a fiber through a solution containing a grafting agent that can include a molecule with a dual reactive functionality to primarily apply and cross-link the grafting material to the surface of the fiber. The resulting high molecular weight polyethylene article is highly cross linked and includes a plurality of substantially aligned crystals, the article providing an X-ray diffraction pattern evidencing only 2 sharp reflections.