Friction and wear behavior of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/graphene nanoplatelets nanocomposite coatings at elevated temperatures

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposite coatings reinforced with 1 wt.% graphene nanoplatelets were deposited on aluminum substrates. Sliding wear tests with a pin-on-disc configuration were conducted at different temperatures (25oC, 75oC, 90oC, 115oC, and 125oC) to evaluate the wear behavior of the coating at elevated temperatures. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/1 wt.% graphene nanoplatelets nanocomposite coating showed an outstanding performance by passing the wear test without failing even until temperatures of 115oC as compared to the pure ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene coating which failed at a much lower temperature of 75oC, indicating an improvement in the operating temperature range of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene by at least 44%.