Huang Guodong, Lv Weiwen, Zhu Yaowu, Zhang Zhigang, Jin Xuxing, Liu Haowu, Zhang Tao, Yang Fei, Lu Min, Zhao Yongwu
School of Mechanical Engineering, Wuxi Institute of Technology Wuxi 214121 Jiangsu China
School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangnan University Wuxi 214122 Jiangsu China.
RSC Adv. 2024 Jun 6;14(26):18161-18170. doi: 10.1039/d4ra01156b.
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/graphene oxide (PE-UHMW/GO) composites have demonstrated potential in artificial joint applications. The tribological behavior of irradiated PE-UHMW/GO composites under water lubrication remained unclear, which limited their application range. In this study, the PE-UHMW/GO composites were gamma irradiated at 100 KGy in a vacuum and subsequently aged at 80 °C for 21 days in air. We assessed their water absorption, and mechanical and tribological properties post-treatment. Notably, gamma irradiation markedly enhanced the mechanical and tribological performance of PE-UHMW/GO composites. Irradiated composites had a 6.11% increase in compressive strength and a 25.72% increase in yield strength compared to unirradiated composites. Additionally, under water lubrication, the irradiated composites showed improved wear resistance and a reduced friction coefficient. The irradiation enhancement can be attributed to the irradiation-induced strengthening of the interface bonding between GO and PE-UHMW. Conversely, accelerated aging led to oxidative degradation, negatively impacting these properties. Aged composites exhibited lower compressive and yield strengths, higher friction coefficients, and diminished anti-wear properties compared to the irradiated composites. The wear mechanism evolved from predominantly fatigue wear in irradiated PE-UHMW/GO to a mix of abrasive and fatigue wear post-aging. While GO and aging influenced water absorption, irradiation had a minimal effect. These insights significantly contribute to the application potential of irradiated PE-UHMW/GO composites in artificial joints.
超高分子量聚乙烯/氧化石墨烯（PE-UHMW/GO）复合材料在人工关节应用中已展现出潜力。辐照后的PE-UHMW/GO复合材料在水润滑条件下的摩擦学行为尚不清楚，这限制了它们的应用范围。在本研究中，PE-UHMW/GO复合材料在真空中以100千戈瑞的剂量进行γ辐照，随后在80°C的空气中老化21天。我们评估了它们在处理后的吸水性、力学性能和摩擦学性能。值得注意的是，γ辐照显著提高了PE-UHMW/GO复合材料的力学性能和摩擦学性能。与未辐照的复合材料相比，辐照后的复合材料抗压强度提高了6.11%，屈服强度提高了25.72%。此外，在水润滑条件下，辐照后的复合材料表现出更好的耐磨性和更低的摩擦系数。辐照增强可归因于辐照诱导的GO与PE-UHMW之间界面结合的强化。相反，加速老化导致氧化降解，对这些性能产生负面影响。与辐照后的复合材料相比，老化后的复合材料抗压强度和屈服强度更低，摩擦系数更高，抗磨性能降低。磨损机制从辐照后的PE-UHMW/GO中的主要疲劳磨损演变为老化后的磨料磨损和疲劳磨损的混合。虽然GO和老化影响吸水性，但辐照的影响最小。这些见解显著有助于辐照后的PE-UHMW/GO复合材料在人工关节中的应用潜力。
