Synthetic fiber ropes with low-creep hmpe fibers

A method of making a braided rope, the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of rope strands, comprising:
• blending together first fibers and second fibers, the first fibers being high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers, the second fibers being lyotropic polymer filaments, thermotropic polymer filaments, or polyphenylene benzobisoxazole fibers,
• wherein the first fibers have creep rate of no more than 3.0×10−8 percent per second at 20° C. while subjected to a stress of 5.0 grams/dtex;
• and
• wherein the first fibers have a creep rate of no more than 1.0×10−7 percent per second at 20° C. while subjected to a stress of 7.5 grams/dtex;
• and
• braiding the plurality of rope strands together to form the braided rope.

A braided rope comprising:

• a plurality of braided strands comprising twisted yarns, each of the twisted yarns comprising a blend of first fibers and second fibers, the first fibers being high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers, the second fibers being lyotropic polymer filaments, thermotropic polymer filaments, or polyphenylene benzobisoxazole fibers,
• wherein the first fibers have creep rate of no more than 3.0×10−8 percent per second at 20° C. while subjected to a stress of 5.0 grams/dtex;
• wherein the first fibers have a creep rate of no more than 1.0×10−7 percent per second at 20° C. while subjected to a stress of 7.5 grams/dtex;
• wherein the second fibers have a tensile strength of about 3200 MPa, an elongation at break of 3.3% to 3.7%, a tensile modulus of about 75.0 GPa, and a tenacity of 2.03 N/tex to 2.38 N/tex;
• wherein each of the twisted yarns has a ratio of first fibers to second fibers of from 45:55 to 55:45 by volume;
• and
• wherein the ratio of first fibers to second fibers is from 38:62 to 46:54 by weight.