UHMWPE hybrid nanocomposite coating reinforced with nanoclay and carbon nanotubes for tribological applications under water with/without abrasives

The tribological performance of a novel ultra-high molecular polyethylene (UHMWPE) based hybrid nanocomposite coating under aqueous environment is evaluated in this study by using ball-on-disk configuration and scratch testing. A combination of two nanofillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanoclay (C15A) is used as reinforcement to improve the load bearing capacity of the coating and to improve the resistance to water absorption respectively. The coatings are deposited on aluminum substrates using an electrostatic spraying technique. UHMWPE hybrid nanocomposite coating reinforced with 1.5 wt% of CNTs and 1.5 wt% of C15A nanoclay showed excellent scratch resistance and improved tribological performance under water (with/without abrasives).