Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE)
UHMW-PE is a thermoplastic, further classified as a polyethylene plastic. It has a fairly high ductility and a fairly low density among thermoplastics. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare UHMW-PE to: polyethylene plastics (top), all thermoplastics (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Thermal Properties
Melting Onset (Solidus)
130 °C 270 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
1750 J/kg-K 0.42 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
0.41 W/m-K 0.24 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
180 µm/m-K
Vicat Softening Temperature
75 °C 170 °F
Electrical Properties
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 Hz
2.2
Electrical Dissipation At 1 Hz
0.045
Electrical Dissipation At 1 MHz
0.053
Other Material Properties
Density
0.94 g/cm3 59 lb/ft3
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
0.8 GPa 0.12 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
400 %
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
49 MPa 7.1 x 103 psi
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
0.47 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
33 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
14 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
32 points
Thermal Diffusivity
0.25 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
25 points
Followup Questions
Further Reading
SPI Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 5th ed., Michael L. Berins (editor), 2000
Modern Plastics Handbook, Charles A. Harper (editor), 1999
Plastics Materials, 7th ed., J. A. Brydson, 1999
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015