Abrasive wear of HDPE/UHMWPE blends

• Published in: Wear Vol. 270; no. 9; pp. 576 - 583
• Main Authors: Lucas, Alessandra de A., Ambrósio, José D., Otaguro, Harumi, Costa, Lidiane C., Agnelli, José A.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 04.04.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abrasion; Abrasion resistance; Abrasive wear; Applied sciences; Blends; Differential scanning calorimetry; Electron microscopy; Exact sciences and technology; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Friction, wear, lubrication; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Mechanical properties; Physical properties; Physics; Polyethylenes; Polymer; Polymer blends; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Properties and testing; Scanning electron microscopy; Solid lubricants; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Technology of polymers; Tensile strength; Thermogravimetric analysis; Wear testing; Abrasion; Polymer; Wear testing; Electron microscopy; Solid lubricants; Mixing; High density; High density ethylene polymer; Impact strength; Ultra high molecular weight ethylene polymer; Solid lubricant; Differential scanning calorimetry; Scanning electron microscopy; Polyethylene; Molten state; Wear test; Double screw extruder; Thermogravimetry; Mechanical properties; Tension test; Tensile strength; Abrasive wear; Morphology; Impact test; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2011.01.011

► Increase of UHMWPE (10–30%) content improves HDPE abrasion resistance (DIN53516) ► Presence of UHMWPE improves HDPE mechanical properties under impact and tensile ► Volumetric loss and a function of fitted by Ratner and Lancaster equation ► Two-phase separation: HDPE (matrix) and UHMWPE (10–30%, dispersed phase). Blends of high density polyethylene (HDPE) with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were obtained by mixing in a melted state at concentrations ranging from 10 to 30% by weight in an intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder (ICTSE). The abrasive resistance of the blends was evaluated according to the DIN53516 standard, and it was observed that the volumetric loss of the blends decreased with increasing concentration of UHMWPE. The mechanical properties of the samples were analyzed in terms of flexural, tensile, and impact strength; in general, the HDPE/UHMWPE blends had a good set of properties, most of which were better than the properties of pure HDPE. Thermal analysis of samples was made by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and no significant difference was observed between the blends and pure HDPE. The morphological analysis conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the UHMWPE is present in the HDPE matrix as a second phase, but there is a good interface between the two. We found an inverse relationship between the volumetric loss in the abrasive wear of the samples and the product between the tensile strength at yielding and strain at yielding, σ y ɛ y , as proposed by Lancaster and Ratner (Sinha and Briscoe, 2009 [1]).