ULTREX® Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, or ULTREX® UHMW/PE, is one of the most versatile and efficient polyethylene plastics manufactured in today’s industrial marketplace. The Spiratex Company has been a leading UHMW/PE extruder for years and has been at the forefront of its emergence as a low-cost thermoplastic that can outperform other well-known plastics.

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ULTREX® UHMW/PE Capabilities

The Spiratex Company is the leader in a relatively small industry that contains only a few capable UHMW/PE manufacturers. We extrude custom designed ULTREX® UHMW/PE profiles, shapes and tubes for customers with their exact specifications. We often provide considerable expertise to customer engineers with design and dimension tolerance issues. What sets us apart from the competition is our ability to take on the more complicated profiles that other extruders avoid. Seventy-five percent of our production is custom parts for a specific user in a specific application. We balance this with a wide assortment of standard size stocked components for many industries such as material handling and the conveyor industry.

How ULTREX® UHMW/PE is Manufactured

Unlike many common thermoplastics, UHMW/PE can’t be injection molded. Rather, we developed a proprietary RAM extrusion process that utilizes significant heat and pressure to extrude our ULTREX® UHMW/PE into any shape and size required for the customer’s specified end use. This process provides industry leading quality finishes that sets Spiratex products above the rest. Our ULTREX® UHMW/PE brand products can be manufactured with a wide variety of additives and attributes to match customer specific requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions about ULTREX® UHMW/PE

The Benefits of ULTREX® UHMW/PE
UHMW/PE provides a number of unique qualities such as:

• high impact strength
• high abrasion resistance
• low friction
• chemical resistance
• water repellent
• excellent dielectric and insulating properties
• stress-crack resistant
• biologically inert
• FDA-certified food safe capable

An example of ULTREX® UHMW/PE’s impact strength is a fender that provides a protective cushion on docks from ships weighing tens of thousands of tons. Its abrasion resistance and low friction properties make it a vital component as a buffer device in a wide assortment of machinery, saving more costly parts and components from wear. There are energy savings as well when used as a wear surface by its significant reduction of drag in conveyor applications. Its chemical resistance properties allow it to be used in machinery containing corrosive chemicals, acids and other harsh liquids.

ULTREX® UHMW/PE Applications

Spiratex extrudes ULTREX® UHMW/PE plastic for applications defined by our customers. The applications are amazingly diverse and varied. Many of Spiratex’s parts are manufactured for the material handling and conveyor industries where the thermoplastic serves not only as a buffer against steel parts with considerable drag but also provides extended belt life.

While conveyors of all types remain a major use for our ULTREX® UHMW/PE plastic and are usually standard parts, its use has become prevalent in numerous industries. They include:

• Agriculture equipment
• Car wash industry
• Dairy conveyor equipment
• Water-handling equipment
• Trucking industry
• Snow blowing equipment
• Shipping
• Airport equipment manufacturers
• Wine industry
• Bottling industry

You’ll find ULTREX® UHMW/PE extruded by Spiratex in an incredible array of everyday products you either use or experience. That includes neck guides for handling soda bottles, guide rails in car washes, waterway gates, snow blower scraper blades, commercial refrigerators, forklifts and walkway handrails at airports. The list is endless.

In addition to standard ULTREX® UHMW/PE, The Spiratex Company has years of experience modifying base resin with additives to alter performance properties for applications. Some popular custom blends include:

• ULTREX® Black RMG (Reprocessed Mechanical Grade UHMW/PE) is ram extruded UHMWPE resin reclaimed from The Spiratex Company’s internal manufacturing processes. The virgin resin has been certified to meet ASTM D4020 Standard Specification for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE). ULTREX® RMG retains all of the physical properties of the virgin material; superior abrasion resistance, high impact strength, and a low coefficient of friction resulting in self-lubricating, non-stick surfaces. While ULTREX® RMG is a good choice for many mechanical applications, it does not meet FDA regulations for food handling service. ULTREX® RMG comes standard in Black, but other colors may be available upon request. Note: ULTREX® RMG is subject to availability
• ULTREX® Black EC/SD (Enhanced Conductivity/Statis Dissipative UHMW/PE) is achieved by adding a superconductive carbon black, which lowers the surface resistivity range to 105 – 109. The dispersed superconductive additive allows electron movement across the part itself. The product is black in color and is not FDA compliant. This blend is also inherently UV stabilized.
• ULTREX® HT UHMW/PE (High-Temp UHMW/PE) has a dramatically higher continuous operating temperature (275o F) than our standard ULTREX® UHMW/PE. Our Hi-Temp ULTREX® UHMW/PE still has excellent chemical resistance, doesn’t absorb moisture, has exceptional wear and abrasion resistance, and meets FDA, USDA, and 3A guidelines. This product is available in a variety of colors, some of which meet FDA, USDA, and 3A guidelines.
• ULTREX® Grey Lube UHMW/PE (Grey Lubricated UHMW/PE) was developed to have additional lubricity in the form of a continuously regenerating surface film. This is achieved by incorporating proprietary additives into the base UHMW/PE polymer, which are extruded under high pressure. This homogeneous blend of UHMW/PE polymer and normally solid lubricants with a grease yield produces products that are self-lubricating; slowly releasing lubricant at temperatures developed in ordinary use. The extruded product exhibits excellent dimensional stability, good wear resistance, and a surface that is not oily to the touch. Dimensional changes are inconsequential and other desirable properties are unaffected. The standard color for this material is Gray. When used in accordance with the applicable FDA polyolefin regulation 21 CFR 177.1520, it meets the requirements of 2.1 and 2.2 for food contact applications.
• ULTREX® MD UHMW/PE (Metal Detectable UHMW/PE) helps food processors and packing facilities reduce the risk of contamination. The unique additives in this product allow it to be easily traced by standard metal detectors while continuing to provide the superior wear and abrasion resistance you would expect from ULTREX® UHMW/PE. This product is typically available in Blue and Dark Gray colors, although other colors can be selected. This product is FDA compliant.
• ULTREX® UV UHMW/PE (UV Stabilized UHMW/PE) is used to slow or prevent UV radiation attacks by dispersing UV stabilizers in the polymer prior to extruding. UV degradation, which is caused by UV radiation, can be a problem in products that are highly-exposed to sunlight or in some cases, artificial sources of UV rays. Continuous exposure for long periods of time is a more serious problem than intermittent exposure, since the attack is dependent on the extent and degree of exposure. Black UV Stabilized material will last 10+ years under normal exposure, whereas Natural colored material will last 5-10 years depending on the application.
• ULTREX® Natural AS-FDA (Natural Anti-Static UHMW/PE) reduces the buildup of static electricity caused by the triboelectric effect. The additives leach onto the surface of the material and absorb moisture from the air. The molecules of an antistatic additive have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas, similar to those of a surfactant. The hydrophilic side interacts with air moisture and binds water molecules, whereas the hydrophobic side interacts with the surface of the material. The effectiveness of this option is dependent on the humidity of the environment and the leaching of the additive. This material, when used in accordance with the applicable FDA polyolefin regulation 21 CFR 177.152, meets the requirements of 2.1 and 2.2 for food contact applications. This product is available in a variety of colors, some of which are FDA compliant.
• Additional ULTREX® UHMW/PE blends include: ULTREX® WF UHMW/PE (Wax-Filled), ULTREX® CF UHMW/PE (Ceramic-Filled), ULTREX® Black Dry Lube (UHMW/PE w/ Molybdenum Disulfide), ULTREX® Blue SWF Lube (Silicone Wax-Filled UHMW/PE), ULTREX® SF (Silicone-Filled UHMW/PE), ULTREX® Antimicrobial UHMW/PE, ULTREX® Boron Nitride UHMW/PE, ULTREX® LGF UHMW/PE (7% Glass Filled UHMWPE), ULTREX® MGF UHMW/PE (20% Glass Filled UHMWPE), ULTREX® HGF UHMW/PE (30% Glass Filled UHMWPE), ULTREX® Black LG Lube (UHMW/PE with 1% graphite), ULTREX® Black HG Lube (UHMW/PE with 3% graphite

Antimicrobial ULTREX® UHMW/PE, ULTREXT® UHMW/PE with Boron Nitride, ULTREX® UHMW/PE with Ceramic, ULTREX® UHMW/PE with Glass Beads, ULTREX® UHMW/PE with Graphite, and ULTREX® UHMW/PE with Molybdenum.

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Why UHMWPE Is the Material of Choice Across Industries