Gel‐spinning of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers has attracted great interest in academia and industry since its birth and commercialization in the 1980s, due to unique properties such as high modulus, low density, and excellent chemical resistance. However, the high viscosity and long relaxation time greatly complicate processing. In industry, solvents like decalin, paraffin oil, etc., usually disentangle the physical networks and promote final drawability. From extruding the polymer solution to post‐solid‐stretching, many polymer physics problems that accompany high‐modulus fiber gel‐spinning should be understood and addressed. In this review, by detailed discussions about the effect of entanglements and intracrystalline chain dynamics on the mechanical properties of UHMWPE, we provide theoretical descriptions of the structure formation of disentangled UHMWPE crystals and the origin of high modulus and strength of final fibers. Several physical intrinsic key factors are also discussed, revealing why UHMWPE is an ideal material for producing high‐performance fibers.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

中文翻译：

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UHMWPE 纤维凝胶纺丝背后的聚合物物理

超高分子量聚乙烯（UHMWPE）纤维的凝胶纺丝技术自20世纪80年代诞生和商业化以来，由于具有高模量、低密度和优异的耐化学性等独特性能，引起了学术界和工业界的极大兴趣。然而，高粘度和长松弛时间使加工变得非常复杂。在工业中，十氢化萘、石蜡油等溶剂通常会解开物理网络并促进最终的可拉伸性。从聚合物溶液挤出到固相拉伸，高模量纤维凝胶纺丝伴随的许多聚合物物理问题应该得到理解和解决。在这篇综述中，通过详细讨论缠结和晶内链动力学对 UHMWPE 机械性能的影响，我们提供了解缠结 UHMWPE 晶体的结构形成以及最终纤维高模量和强度的起源的理论描述。还讨论了几个物理内在关键因素，揭示了为什么 UHMWPE 是生产高性能纤维的理想材料。本文受版权保护。版权所有