Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is an engineering polymer that is utilized in many applications. Due to the presence of a transient physical network of entanglement, the processing of UHMWPE through conventional melt-extrusion techniques is extremely challenging. Reducing entanglement may provide a way to produce UHMWPE with superior mechanical properties by increasing the possibility of chain extension and chain orientation. A novel solvent-free route has been shown to produce disentangled UHMWPE by controlling the polymer synthesis. The polymerization conditions play a pivotal role in determining the entanglement density of UHMWPE. Homogeneous and heterogenous synthesis routes for the production of disentangled UHMWPE are viable. This Master Thesis performed sensitivity analysis on the controlled synthesis of disentangled UHMWPE based on MAO-activated bis(phenoxy imine) titanium dichloride catalytic system. Both Homogenous and heterogeneous synthesis routes were investigated and compared in terms of polymerization activity as well as entanglement density utilizing thermal, rheological, and morphological analysis techniques. Under the studied polymerization conditions, the catalytic system is able to produce disentangled UHMWPE with a minimum weight-average molecular weight of 4 million grams per mole via homogeneous as well as heterogeneous synthesis routes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:kaust.edu.sa/oai:repository.kaust.edu.sa:10754/686143 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | AbuMuti, Ibrahim |
| Contributors | Rastogi, Sanjay, Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division, Pinnau, Ingo, Ruiz-Martinez, Javier |
| Source Sets | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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