High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn

• Main Authors: Mencke, Jacobus Johannes, Jacobs, Martinus Johannes Nicolaas, Simmelink, Joseph Arnold Paul Maria, Marissen, Roeloef
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.07.2020
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; ARMOUR; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; ARMOURED TURRETS; BLASTING; CABLES OTHER THAN ELECTRIC; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, ORYARNS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LIGHTING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OFARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES ORRIBBONS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; ROPES; ROPES OR CABLES IN GENERAL; SPINNING; TEXTILES; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WARPING OR BEAMING; WEAPONS; YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS

Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DRfluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DRsolid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DRfluid=DRsp*DRag of at least 150, wherein DRsp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DRag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DRsp being greater than 1 and DRag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.