COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FILLER EFFECTS ON THE MECHANICAL, TRIBOLOGICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF ULTRA-HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITES

Nodirbek Madaminov,Mavluda Umarova

Authors

Nodirbek Madaminov,Mavluda Umarova Department of "Materials Science and Technology of New Materials", Andijan Machine-Building Institute, Andijan, Uzbekistan (corresponding author),Tashkent State Transport University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords:

UHMWPE composites; carbon fibers; zirconium dioxide; titanium carbide; graphene; molybdenum disulfide; silica; mechanical properties; tribological properties; thermal properties; ANOVA; nanocomposites.

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the effects of six widely used filler types - carbon fibers (CF), zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), titanium carbide (TiC), graphene nanoplatelets, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), and silica (SiO₂) - on the mechanical, tribological, and thermal properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites. The results demonstrate that filler choice critically determines the property profile of the resulting composite: carbon fibers at 5 wt. % provide the largest Young's modulus enhancement (+251 %); graphene nanoplatelets at 2 wt. % deliver the highest tensile strength gain (+49 %) coupled with a 320 % increase in thermal conductivity; ZrO₂ at 3 wt. % gives the best wear resistance; MoS₂ at 5 wt. % provides the lowest friction coefficient reduction; TiC at 5 wt. % offers the highest heat deflection temperature increase. Across all filler types, optimal loading lies in the 2–5 wt. % range, beyond which aggregation effects degrade performance. Statistical analysis (ANOVA, F = 28.4, p < 0.001) confirms that filler type is the dominant variable controlling composite property profiles, accounting for approximately 64 % of observed variance.

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