Erratum to: Investigating the Effect of Water Uptake on the Tribological Properties of Organoclay Reinforced UHMWPE Nanocomposites

Abstract

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) nanocomposites reinforced with different loadings (0.5, 1.5 and 3 wt%) of C15A organoclay are fabricated. Water uptake tests at an elevated temperature of 70 °C are performed to evaluate the effect of different loadings of nanoclay on the water absorption by the nanocomposites. It is observed that the water uptake by the nanocomposites reduced with an increase in the concentration of the nanoclay. A 21 % reduction in the water uptake is observed for the UHMWPE nanocomposites reinforced with 1.5 and 3 wt% of C15A, respectively, as compared to pristine UHMWPE. This reduction is attributed to the improvement in the barrier properties of the nanocomposites with the addition of nanoclays. Wear tests are also conducted before and after water uptake to investigate the effect of water absorption on the tribological properties. Organoclay composites showed enhanced performance as compared to pristine UHMWPE even after water absorption. This improvement is attributed to the reduced water absorption of organoclay composites leading to less softening and plasticization of the polymer, resulting in better wear resistance. However, among the different loadings of nanoclays, it is observed that the 1.5 wt% of C15A reinforcement showed the best tribological performance even after water uptake with 41 % reduction in the wear rate and a 20 % reduction in the coefficient of friction when compared to pristine UHMWPE.