UHMWPE/CaSiO₃ Nanocomposite: Mechanical and Tribological Properties

This paper studied the effect of additives of 0.5-20 wt.% synthetic CaSiO₃ wollastonite on the thermodynamic, mechanical, and tribological characteristics and structure of polymer composite materials (PCM) based on ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Using thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscope, and laser light diffraction methods, it was shown that autoclave synthesis in the multicomponent system CaSO₄·2H₂O-SiO₂·nH₂O-KOH-H₂O allows one to obtain neeindle-shaped nanosized CaSiO₃ particles. It was shown that synthetic wollastonite is an effective filler of UHMWPE, which can significantly increase the deformation-strength and tribological characteristics of PCM. The active participation of wollastonite in tribochemical reactions occurring during friction of PCM by infrared spectroscopy was detected: new peaks related to oxygen-containing functional groups (hydroxyl and carbonyl) appeared. The developed UHMWPE/CaSiO₃ materials have high wear resistance and can be used as triboengineering materials.