GUR® UHMW-PE is an ultra-high-performance polyethylene powder that includes both ultra-high molecular weight and high molecular weight polyethylene. First produced in Oberhausen, Germany, in 1955, GUR® UHMW-PE has become synonymous with high quality, high strength performance, and innovation—it is a unique thermoplastic and engineering polymer.
UHMW-PE is an extremely high molecular weight polymer generally produced in powder form. Its particle size typically ranges from 100 to 150 microns, but grades with much lower and much higher particle sizes are also available.
GUR® UHMW-PE has an extremely high melt viscosity, so it cannot generally be processed by the common methods used for ordinary thermoplastics. As a manufacturer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), Celanese supports customers with regard to all aspects of processing. The most common processes for making stock shapes and profiles are compression molding and ram extrusion because they allow the application of the high pressures needed to fuse UHMW-PE particles together. Stock shapes or profiles are then typically machined into the final required shape by a subsequent machining step.
