【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】Development of U50, a special material for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, completed from 2276 to 2025

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A special material for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers has been successfully developed, marking a significant achievement in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment sector. Your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement**********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** News from April 7, 2025: Recently, the U50F material, a special material for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, which was produced using a porous organic polymer carrier (POP)-type catalyst developed independently by the Lanzhou Chemical Research Center of the China National Petroleum Corporation, underwent full-scale fiber production tests. This represents a major breakthrough by China National Petroleum Corporation in the field of UHMWPE catalysts and special materials for UHMWPE fibers, demonstrating yet another success in independent innovation. Previously, the research team at Lanzhou Chemical Research Center used a self-developed POP-type UHMWPE catalyst to successfully carry out pilot-scale polymerization evaluation tests on a 6.4-cubic-meter slurry polyethylene plant. The testing process was smooth and under control, with a screening efficiency of over 99%; thus, the UHMWPE fiber-specific material U50F with an average molecular weight of around 5 million was successfully prepared. From March 25 to 31, 2025, the research team carried out a full-scale fiber processing test, covering the preparation of the spinning solution specific for U50F fiber pilot production, gel-spinning of multi-filament yarns, solvent extraction, super-stretching, and winding of the final product. The test results show that the U50F specialty material possesses good spinnability, tensile properties, and uniformity. The fiber diameter is 80.2 dtex, the elongation at break is 2.6%, and the fiber strength reaches 38.2 cN/dtex, meeting the requirements for high-end applications. UHMWPE is known as the \"king of materials,\" and its production has long been constrained by core catalyst technology. Traditional UHMWPE catalysts often use inorganic carriers such as magnesium chloride and silica, which can introduce impurities like ash and thereby affect the properties of the material. The POP catalyst system innovatively developed by Lanzhou Chemical Research Center breaks free from the constraints of the current industry practices by using pure organic carriers. These POP carriers are precisely constructed from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements; through molecular design, it is possible to control the specific surface area, pore size, and the chemical environment of the metal active centers. This approach prevents the introduction of impurities at the source, resulting in excellent catalytic performance. Suitable for the production of low-ash, fine-particle UHMWPE, improving fiber processing performance and strength. The use of the independently developed POP catalyst enabled the pilot-scale development of UHWMPE fibers, providing key technical support for the localization and advancement of high-performance polyethylene fibers in China.