Abstract:
The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, UHMWPE, is considered an engineering polymer due to its excellent mechanical performance, highlighting its high toughness, added to its low density, which makes it a versatile material whose interest in the industry is growing. Due to some of these properties, UHMWPE is used to replace classic materials, such as metals, especially if reinforced with fiber. On the other hand, among the residues generated by the production of industrial iron, the highlight of the slag is steel. This waste requires proper disposal and treatment, as improper disposal can cause socio-environmental impacts, damage to the image and fines to the company. During the research, it was aimed to develop a material based on UHMWPE that is processable by conventional extrusion through the addition of lubricant during extrusion, addition of fillers based on slag and converter steelmaking slag geopolymer in order to promote an improvement of mechanical properties of the material for ballistic application, with mass proportions of 5, 10, 20% w/w. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetry (TGA), X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that UHMWPE with geopolymer has greater thermal stability and superior mechanical properties..