Compression‐molded,lubricant‐treated UHMWPE composites

Lubricant‐treated ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites were prepared by compression molding. Composites were made from mixtures containing up to 5.0 wt % of lubricant. Two solid lubricants, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), and carbon black (CB), and one liquid lubricant, perfluoropolyether (PFPE), were used in the study. UHMWPE and the lubricants formed 3D networks, where the lubricant was evenly spread over the UHMWPE particles. The amounts of MoS₂ and CB were determined by thermogravimetric analyses, and the amounts of PFPE by ATR‐IR spectroscopy. All the lubricant treated composites showed better friction properties than pure UHMWPE. The addition of PFPE to UHMWPE improved the hydrophobicity of the surface, whereas the addition of solid lubricant had little effect. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1762–1768, 2007