Sliding wear behavior and mechanism of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene

In this paper, the dry sliding wear behavior of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was tested on an MM200 rig. The effects of sliding speed and load on the sliding wear of UHMWPE were determined. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the worn surfaces. The SEM images showed that a series of ridges were formed on the UHMWPE surfaces in the running-in period and the massive tearing and rupture of the surface layer of UHMWPE occurred in the severe wear period. The thermal effect on the wear of UHMWPE was detected by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC).