The Preparation Of The UHMWPE/CNTs Composite Fiber And Its Anti-creep Property Study

The ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber is one of the threehigh-performance fibers. Due to its excellent mechanical properties, it has been widely used inropes, safety protection, high performance textiles, and fiber reinforced composites. However,UHMWPE fiber tends to creep under sustaining load, and this will limit its application in abroader areas. In this sense, a study on the anti-creep property of the UHMWPE fiber is of greatsignificance.In this research, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were purified and functionalized. The CNTs thustreated were added to the UHMWPE and then gel-spun into UHMWPE/CNTs composite fibers.FTIR, XRD, SEM, POM, TGA and tensile tester were used to study the effects of purificationand functionalization on the carbon nanotubes structure, as well as the structure and properties ofthe UHMWPE/CNTs composite fiber.The experimental results showed that the agglomeration of the carbon nanotubes wasimproved, which in turn improved the compatibility and stability of the CNTs in the paraffin oil,the solvent for UHMWPE gel spinning; The CNTs plays a role as nucleating agent inUHMWPE/CNTs gel system, which made the grain size decreased, thermal crystallizationtemperature increased, the crystallization rate increased slightly; The Raman spectra ofUHMWPE/CNTs composite fiber research results showed that with the increasing of draw ratio,the CNTs gradually arranged along the fiber axis orientation; Instrument tests showed that theoptimized addition of CNTs was2wt%. Compared to pure UHMWPE fiber, the creep resistanceof UHMWPE/CNTs composite fibers was greatly improved, the Young’s modulus and breakingstrength were1031cN/dtex and23.8cN/dtex respectively. Meanwhile, the thermal property of thecomposite fiber is also improved to certain extent.