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Enhancement of the tribological and thermal properties of UHMWPE based ternary nanocomposites containing graphene and titanium titride

  • Uwa O. Uyor EMAIL logo , Abimbola P. I. Popoola and Olawale M. Popoola
Published/Copyright: December 12, 2023
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Journal of Polymer Engineering
From the journal Journal of Polymer Engineering Volume 44 Issue 1

Abstract

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) generally does not have high resistance to wear and are characterised by poor thermal stability when exposed to long working condition. To address these shortcomings, this study used hybrid graphene nanoplatelets (GN) and titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles to significantly enhance the wear resistance and thermal stability of UHMWPE. The nanocomposites were prepared by solvent mixing and hot compression process. Scanning electron microscope showed uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the UHMWPE matrix. The developed UHMWPE showed improved wear resistance and thermal stability relative to the pure UHMWPE. For instance, the wear rate reduced from 6.7 × 10−3 mm3 N−1 m−1 and 3.67 × 10−2 mm3 N−1 m−1 for pure UHMWPE to 2.687 × 10−5 mm3 N−1 m−1 and 1.34 × 7 × 10−4 mm3 N−1 m−1 for UHMWPE–2 wt% GN–10 wt% TiN at applied loads of 10 N and 20 N respectively. This is about 100 % increment in wear resistance at the respective applied loads compared to the pure UHMWPE. The thermal stability of the fabricated nanocomposites was studied using the thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The addition of nanoparticles significantly reduced the thermal decomposition of UHMWPE matrix. The enhanced properties of the UHMWPE–GN–TiN nanocomposites may be attributed to the network structures formed from the dispersion of the GN and TiN nanoparticles in the UHMWPE matrix with promoted molecular chains interlocking.

Keywords: UHMWPE; TiN; GN; thermal and tribological properties
Corresponding author: Uwa O. Uyor, Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria, South Africa; and Center for Energy and Electrical Power, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria, South Africa, E-mail:

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and the Centre for Energy and Electric Power, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa for their support.

  1. Research ethics: This work does not include humans and animal, hence does not require ethical approval from any committee.

  2. Author contributions: Uwa O. Uyor: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing Original Draft and Project Administration. Abimbola P. I. Popoola: Supervision, Funding Acquisition, Review and Editing and Validation. Olawale M. Popoola: Supervision, Funding Acquisition, Resources and Methodology.

  3. Competing interests: There is no conflict of interest to be declared in this study.

  4. Research funding: No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

  5. Data availability: The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

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Received: 2023-07-30
Accepted: 2023-11-15
Published Online: 2023-12-12
Published in Print: 2024-01-29

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material Properties
  3. Research progress of metal organic framework materials in anti-corrosion coating
  4. Effect of gamma irradiation on tensile, thermal and wettability properties of waste coffee grounds reinforced HDPE composites
  5. Morphologies, structures, and properties on blends of triblock copolymers and linear low-density polyethylene
  6. Enhancement of the tribological and thermal properties of UHMWPE based ternary nanocomposites containing graphene and titanium titride
  7. Preparation and Assembly
  8. Preparation and property evaluation of poly(ε-caprolactone)/polylactic acid/perlite biodegradable composite film
  9. Engineering and Processing
  10. Predictive maintenance feasibility assessment based on nonreturn valve wear of injection molding machines
  11. Quality monitoring of injection molding based on TSO-SVM and MOSSA
  12. Location-controlled crazing in polyethylene using focused electron beams and tensile strain
  13. Annual Reviewer Acknowledgement
  14. Reviewer acknowledgement Journal of Polymer Engineering volume 43 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2023-0182
Keywords for this article
UHMWPE; TiN; GN; thermal and tribological properties

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material Properties
  3. Research progress of metal organic framework materials in anti-corrosion coating
  4. Effect of gamma irradiation on tensile, thermal and wettability properties of waste coffee grounds reinforced HDPE composites
  5. Morphologies, structures, and properties on blends of triblock copolymers and linear low-density polyethylene
  6. Enhancement of the tribological and thermal properties of UHMWPE based ternary nanocomposites containing graphene and titanium titride
  7. Preparation and Assembly
  8. Preparation and property evaluation of poly(ε-caprolactone)/polylactic acid/perlite biodegradable composite film
  9. Engineering and Processing
  10. Predictive maintenance feasibility assessment based on nonreturn valve wear of injection molding machines
  11. Quality monitoring of injection molding based on TSO-SVM and MOSSA
  12. Location-controlled crazing in polyethylene using focused electron beams and tensile strain
  13. Annual Reviewer Acknowledgement
  14. Reviewer acknowledgement Journal of Polymer Engineering volume 43 (2023)
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