Dry Sliding Wear Properties of Ultra-high Molecular Weight Polyethylene Parts Made by the Injection Molding Process

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of various sliding wear test conditions on the tribological properties of UHMWPE. The results indicated that the wear resistance of UHMWPE in the sliding direction perpendicular to the melt flow direction was stronger than that in the sliding direction parallel with the melt flow direction. It was found that the X-Z plane obtains more serious incomplete molecular bondings and cracks than the Y-Z plane. The main wear mechanisms were plastic deformations and wrinkled formations. The UHMWPE hardness increases or decreases as the applied load and sliding frequency increases or decreases.

Keywords:

• Dry sliding
• Friction
• Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
• Wear

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Professor Hai-Wei Chi of the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Da-Yeh University, Taiwan. His assistance with experimental equipment support is appreciated. This work was funded by the National Science Council, Taiwan. Project No. NSC-97-2221-E-008-013-MY3.