Patent ID: 9586370
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B29B,B29C,B29K,B29L,C08J

Claim:
1. A method comprising: inserting a consolidated UHMWPE, in the form of a cylindrical bar of diameter from 2 inches to 4 inches, into a rigid sleeve, wherein the sleeve has a diameter greater than that of the UHMWPE bar, and wherein upon insertion, an inner wall of the sleeve contacts some but not all of the UHMWPE bar, heating the UHMWPE in the sleeve to a temperature of 330° C. or higher, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned so that the heated UHMWPE thermally expands and contacts the entire inner wall of the sleeve during the heating so that the sleeve provides radial pressure to the heated UHMWPE and simultaneously leaves a longitudinal direction of the heated UHMWPE unconstrained, cooling the heated UHMWPE, to provide a UHMWPE product, wherein during the cooling, the temperature of the UHMWPE is lowered to such an extent that the UHMWPE shrinks and loses contact with the inner wall of the sleeve, so that it can be removed from the sleeve, and removing the UHMWPE from the sleeve, wherein the UHMWPE product has less cavitation than a UHMWPE product made by a corresponding method free of the radial pressure.