ENHANCEMENT OF MECHANICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF UHMWPE THROUGH NANOFILLER REINFORCEMENT
Keywords:
UHMWPE; nanofiller; graphene oxide; carbon nanotubes; mechanical properties; technological properties; nanocomposite processing; sintering; tribology; reinforcement mechanism.Abstract
The present study analyses the effect of five different nanofillers - multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), graphene oxide (GO), nano-Al₂O₃, nano-SiO₂ and surface-modified nano-MoS₂ - introduced into the UHMWPE matrix at loadings of 0.25–1.5 wt.% on the mechanical and technological characteristics. The optimum reinforcement level was found to be 1.0 wt.% GO, which raised the tensile strength by 22 %, Young‘s modulus by 26 %, and reduced the wear rate by 48 % compared with neat UHMWPE. From the technological standpoint, GO and MWCNT additives improved the sintering quality and reduced the compression ratio by 8–11 %.
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