Tribological Properties of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene in Hydrogen Peroxide Solution

The friction and wear properties of ultrahigh molecule weight polyethylene(UHMWPE) couple with bearing steel GCr15 in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution and deionized water were studied, and the effects of the mass fraction of hydrogen peroxide and load on the tribological properties were studied. The results show that the friction coefficient of UHMWPE/GCr15 in deionized water was the highest, and the friction coefficient increased with the increase of the mass fraction of hydrogen peroxide. The wear volume of UHMWPE in deionized water, 30%H2O2, 60%H2O2, and 90%H2O2 were 0.057, 0.042, 0.049 and 0.110 mm3, respectively. The friction coefficient of UHMWPE/GCr15 and the wear volume and wear area of UHMWPE increased with the increase of the load. The wear mechanism was mainly abrasive and plastic deformation wear with oxidative wear.