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Updated: Aug 10, 2025

Solution Blow Spinning of Polymeric Nano-Composite Fibers for Personal Protective Equipment
Published on: March 18, 2021
Fiber Spinning of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Isotactic Polypropylene: Melt Spinning and Melt Drawing
Lucas Stieglitz1, Christina Geiger2, Paula F Großmann1
1Wacker-Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare Chemie Catalysis Research Center TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany.
Abstract:
Herein, this work reports fiber spinning of tailored isotactic polypropylene (iPP) by melt spinning and melt drawing, yielding an adjustable diameter of 40-400 μm. The crystallinity of all obtained fibers with a molecular weight between 330-1400 kg/mol is increased by thermal annealing and investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The potential of ultrahigh molecular weight iPP (UHMW-iPP) fibers compared to fibers manufactured from industrially available iPP becomes evident when the mechanical performance is compared: fibers spun from UHMW-iPP (1400 kg/mol) enable a tensile strength of up to 400 MPa, whereas commercially available fibers (330 kg/mol) show a tensile strength of approximately 50 MPa. However, UHMW-iPP exhibits a short timeframe, in which extrusion is possible, thereafter extrusion rupture occurs, probably induced by an increased melt viscosity.
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