Friction and Wear Studies of Nylon and Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced UHMWPE Composites Under Dry Sliding

Abstract Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based composites reinforced with chopped nylon and polyethylene (PE) fibers were fabricated through the compression moulding technique to study their tribological and bulk mechanical properties. The amount of each fiber was varied from 2 wt% to 12 wt%. The tribological performances and the effects of fiber loading on the performance of UHMWPE composites were studied. The coefficient of friction values of UHMWPE composites decreased up to a fiber loading of 8 wt%, and beyond this, they increased. The composites containing nylon fibers (10 wt%) were observed to have superior mechanical and tribological properties compared to those containing PE fibers.