Study of the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber Rope

Abstract

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE) exhibits outstanding strength to weight balance due to high molecular orientation, high crystallinity and low density. For these reasons, is widely used in applications demanding high strength high modulus fibers. This paper systematically studies the relationships between the mechanical properties of ropes made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber and several attributes of the rope construction. By studying the structure of the rope, a formula relating the Young's modulus and twist angle was developed. It was found that the breaking strength and the elongation of the rope were closely related to the twist angle. Finally, the breaking strength of the rope had a positive correlation with the diameter of the rope. The retention rate of fatigue strength studied in this paper was kept above 100%. These results may provide useful guidance to the industrial production of the UHMWPE based ropes.