What are the main weaknesses of the existing UHMWPE ski base types? – Part III.

Third issue of existing UHMWPE ski base types are the fast changes of the ski base surface.

How it works?

We know that the main component of UHMWPE ski base types is PE with extremely long linear molecular chains (normaly 7 to 12 mil. g/mol) which is enriched with different additives where the most important is soot or carbon black.

Even if we speak about PE with extremely high molecular weight and about carbon black as singular material types, we need to understand that there are plenty of PEs and carbon blacks which very different and specific features.

Particular features of PE and carbon black as two main components of modern ski base types define how they interact if processed in sintration. Normally carbon black has low or no chemical interactions with PE matrix leading to pure “sitting” inside the PE matrix. This weak “sitting” of carbon black corns inside the PE matrix results in fast and easy “breaking out” of whole soot corns out of matrix, “breaking off” of soot corn parts or soot corns abrasion on the very top surface. All these processes - breaking out / breaking off / abrasion - result in quite fast microscopic changes of the very top surface. These changes are the faster and more significant, the larger and more complex the very top surface of the ski base is, i.e. complex structure patterns which enlarge the surface multiple times and create complex details accelerate these changes.

Due to very weak chemical interactions between PE matrix and carbon black the very top surface of the ski base is a subject of very fast - even if with the naked eye invisible - microscopic changes which do cause that skier run on a new ski base surface latest in the next competition.