Analysis of Melting Process and Numerical Simulation of Pure UHMW-PE Pipe Based on Molding in Barrel Technology

Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene(UHMW-PE) pipe is a kind of pipe of thermoplastic engineering plastic with excellent comprehensive performance, but the difficulty in molding is a technical bottleneck which has already affected the extensive application of pipe of pure UHMW-PE. Molding in barrel on the Single screw extruder is a new technology of extrusion molding method, which can continuously carry out pipe of pure UHMW-PE, the most significant advantages of the technology are as follows: under the circumstances of no need to feed any additives in the whole forming process, it can continuously carry out pipe of pure UHMW-PE, and the extrusion molding speed of it is up to 12 m/h above. During the process of it based on molding in barrel technology, one of the main factors influencing to whether UHMW-PE pipe can be successfully molded or not is whether the melting process of raw material is adequate and appropriate or not. This article will elaborate melting characteristics of raw material of UHMW-PE, establishment of mathematical model of melting process, and numerical simulation of melting process, which belong to the forming process of molding in barrel, and will provide a theoretical basis for correctly designing the structure of single screw extruder and temperature control system of single-screw extruder, based on Molding in Barrel Technology.