Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (
UHMWPE,
UHMW) is a subset of the
thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as
high-modulus polyethylene, (
HMPE), or
high-performance polyethylene (
HPPE), it has extremely long chains, with a
molecular mass usually between 2 and 6 million
u. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough material, with the highest
impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made.