Journal article
A novel scCO2 dyeing strategy for superior coloration of UHMWPE fiber
Polymer (Guilford), v 273, 125873
24 Apr 2023
Abstract
Ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers have the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any available material, including metals. However, their applicability in consumer products is surprisingly limited. One reason for this is the inability to readily dye UHMWPE fibers, i.e. the fibers are only available in clear or black (carbon particle filled). Attempts to color UHMWPE fibers have only achieved limited dye uptake due to the high crystalline content of drawn UHMWPE fibers. In this study, we demonstrate that high dye uptake and high color intensity are possible in drawn UHMWPE via scCO2 dyeing of the as-spun fibers prior to drawing. The as-spun fibers are demonstrated to be drawn via standard methods into dyed high-performance fibers. Comparison of color intensity is made with UHMWPE fibers dyed after drawing and standard PET fibers. Mechanical properties are measured during the drawing process to demonstrate that the presence of dye does not reduce the drawability or the mechanical properties of the fibers.
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•A novel scCO2 dyeing method of UHMWPE fiber is presented with superior dye uptake to traditional methods.•The method utilizes as-spun fiber to increase dye uptake into amorphous domains of the fiber prior to drawing.•A microscopic color correction technique is validated and used to determine color in a single fiber before and after drawing.•The color fastness experiments show that the dye is not easily released from the fiber.•Mechanical testing suggests that the presence of dye does not affect the modulus development with draw ratio.
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Details
- Title
- A novel scCO2 dyeing strategy for superior coloration of UHMWPE fiber
- Creators
- Yao Zhou - Department of Chemical Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, PA, United StatesThamires Andrade Lima - Drexel University, Chemical and Biological EngineeringZachary R. Hinton - Department of Chemical Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, PA, United StatesChristopher K. Henry - Department of Chemical Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, PA, United StatesMadhu Anand - eCO2Dye, 930 Hamilton Street 4th Floor, Allentown, 18101, PA, United StatesNicolas Javier Alvarez - Drexel University, Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Publication Details
- Polymer (Guilford), v 273, 125873
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000971570100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85150905876
- Other Identifier
- 991021861298104721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Polymer Science