In order to improve the hardness and tribological properties of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), UHMWPE composites reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets by ball milling is presented in this article. The results show that the content of 20 wt% GO composite exhibits the lowest friction coefficient and the best wear resistance among all specimens under distilled water lubrication conditions. The mechanism of GO content on tribological properties of the composites under dry conditions and distilled water were investigated. Super low friction coefficient value and the best wear resistance under distilled water is attributed to water provides passivation of interacting dangling bonds on the sliding surface of GO. This study provides a new path to synthesize the high wear resistance and mechanical performance GO/UHMWPE composite materials under water condition and may have huge potential applications in many related fields, such as biomedical and marine engineering.

Keywords: nanocomposites; UHMWPE; graphene oxide; wear and friction; hardness