Tribological behaviour of UHMWPE/HDPE blends reinforced with multi-wall carbon nanotubes

This paper deals with the wear and creep resistance of a composite material consisting of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTS). The CNT content was varied between 0.2 and 2 wt% to find the optimum filler content. The effect of a pre-treatment of the CNTs in boiling nitric acid on the wear resistance was studied. The wear tests were performed in a ball-on-prism tribometer against two types of polished steel (austenitic X5CrNi18-10 and martensitic 100Cr6). The static penetration of the ball into the composite material was measured beforehand. The results showed that carbon nanotubes can improve the wear performance of UHMWPE/HDPE composites. The specific wear rate of the composites decreased with increasing CNT content. The nanotubes can be dispersed in the matrix, however, nanotube aggregates also still exist. Further work is needed to improve the homogeneity of the nanotubes in the matrix. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.