Gel Spinning: How the Strongest Polymer Fibres Are Made

At a glance. Gel spinning extrudes a dilute polymer gel, sets it in a quench bath and then draws it many times over. The Tech Inc. Lab Gel Spinning Machine gives each step its own control.

The key steps

1. Heated extrusion of the gel.

2. Quenching to set the fibre.

3. Multi-stage hot drawing to align the chains.

4. Winding at controlled tension.

Fibres and uses

UHMWPE for ropes and ballistic protection, and PVA for reinforcement.

Frequently asked questions

What draw ratio? Up to about 50, over several ovens.

Batch or continuous? Piston-fed for small batches, screw-fed for continuous runs.

Ask mail@techincresearch.com for a quotation.